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Rooibos and Chamomile Roast Chicken with Artichoke Consommé

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The day I mastered the consommé, I felt like a chef. To make a stock might seem like the easiest thing in the world, but to get the flavour just right, you need just a few extra tips and tricks to make it shine. Roasting the bones, for instance, before adding it to the stock adds a new, caramelised dimension of flavour and colour to the liquid. I’m also a firm believer in the fact that the best way to clarify the consommé (removing any excess oil and other impurities) is also one of the oldest methods in the book. I like to use egg white, not over-whisked, just about combined with a slightly fluffy texture. Then – and this is a big one – you strain the liquid and out comes this clear liquid absolutely packed with flavour and nutrients. You now have the perfect consommé base, and can add anything to it to enhance the flavour even further. Because making a consommé is so therapeutic to me, I got such a thrill from adding a blend of my two favourite teas, rooibos and chamomile. This has to be my new favourite dish for those days when I just want to be kinder and gentler with myself.

Rooibos and Chamomile Roast Chicken with Artichoke Consommé

Cooking Time: 6 hours | Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

for the consommé

2 chicken breasts (skin removed)

5 ml thyme (picked)

1 celery stalk (chopped finely)

1 baby leek (chopped finely)

1 carrot (chopped finely)

2 L chicken stock

4 egg whites

6 small globe artichokes

2 lemons

20 g chives

4 bags Forage And Feast Rooibos And Chamomile Tea

butter (optional)

for the stock

1.3 kg chicken

1 onion

2 cloves garlic (optional)

5 g thyme

2 carrots (peeled & chopped)

5 g parsley

3 baby leeks

2.5 ml black peppercorns

2 bay leaves

2 celery stalks

Forage And Feast Olive Oil for frying

METHOD

for the stock

Preheat oven to 200 °C. Place the chicken on its breast and cut down the backbone to expose the meat. Following the carcass with your deboning knife, begin cutting the meat from the bone. Cut the joint at the shoulder. Cut on top and around the breastbone and down on the other side. You simply separate the chicken breast from the bone as you go.

Separate the thighbone at the joint between the thigh and the drumstick. Cut round the drumstick bones and push out the bones. Reserve for another day (can be stored in the freezer). Place the deboned chicken on a roasting tray with the wings, onions, garlic and thyme. Drizzle a little bit of oil before roasting. Roast for 40 min or until chicken bones are golden brown in colour.

Chop the carrots, leeks and celery into medium sized chunks. In a large 5-litre saucepot fry chopped leeks, carrots and celery over medium heat in a small amount of olive oil. Add the ingredients from the roasting tray, bay leaves and parsley and add 3 litres of room temperature water. Simmer for 2 hours over low heat and skim impurities off during process. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and allow to cool down at room temperature.

*Store extra stock and place in the freezer.

Slice chicken breast into smaller portions and place in a jug blender. Blend for 20 seconds on a high speed and add the carrots, celery, leeks and the tea of one Forage & Feast Rooibos & Chamomile tea bag removed from the tea bag to the mixture. Blend for another 20 seconds. In a medium mixing bowl whisk egg whites by hand for 20 seconds or until egg whites starts to froth. Combine the meat mixture with the egg whites by folding them together. Place mixture at the bottom of a large saucepot. Add 2 litres of chicken stock and simmer over a low heat for 3 hours. The egg whites will float to the top of the mixture called a raft. Skim constantly, and make sure not to boil.

Once the stock is clear. Remove the raft and strain liquid through a muslin cloth.   

In a small teapot add 300 ml boiling water to 3 tea bags of Forage and Feast Rooibos & Chamomile tea bags. Add lemon, celery and artichoke petals and allow to infuse for 10 min. Strain the tea and add to the consommé.

Finely chop the chives by making a small bundle and slicing them thinly and store in the fridge until needed for garnish. Clean the artichokes and blanch in lemon water. Artichokes can be fried in butter before serving. Place the artichokes at the bottom, of the soup bowl add the consommé and sprinkle chives on top.

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