Thyme Roasted Chicken Breast With Morel Madeira Gravy Recipes

THYME-ROASTED CHICKEN BREAST WITH MOREL-MADEIRA GRAVY

Steps:

• Combine boiling water and morels in small bowl. Let stand until morels soften, about 35 minutes. Strain; reserve soaking liquid. Coarsely chop morels.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to skillet; cook until golden, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to shallow baking dish (do not clean skillet). Bake until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat same skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and thyme and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Add morel soaking liquid, leaving any residue in bowl. Boil mixture until most of liquid evaporates, about 4 minutes. Add chicken broth and 1/4 cup Madeira; boil until gravy is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 5 minutes. Strain gravy into small saucepan; add morels. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch and remaining 1 tablespoon Madeira in small bowl. Whisk into gravy; simmer until thickened, about 30 seconds. Season gravy with salt and pepper. Spoon over chicken and serve.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH GARLIC AND THYME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Let chicken stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Rub chicken all over with cut side of garlic. Season cavity with salt and pepper; stuff with garlic halves and thyme. Brush chicken with butter; generously season with salt and pepper. Transfer chicken to a rimmed baking sheet. Cross legs, and tie with kitchen twine.
• Roast chicken, basting after 30 minutes, until skin is crisp and golden and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh reaches 165, about 1 hour. Let stand for 10 minutes before carving. Garnish with thyme.

LEMON & THYME BUTTER-BASTED ROAST CHICKEN & GRAVY

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. In a small bowl, mash the butter with one-third of the thyme leaves, the mashed garlic and the juice of half a lemon. Mix everything together with some seasoning and set aside.
• Use your hand to loosen the chicken skin away from the breast, then push most of the butter mix into the gap. Rub the rest of the butter all over the outside of the chicken, then stuff the cavity with the lemon halves, remaining thyme leaves and stalks, and the garlic.
• Scatter the chopped carrot, onion and bay leaves over the base of a small roasting tin. Sit the chicken on top, breast-side up, and roast on the middle shelf for 1 hr 30 mins, basting with the buttery juices after about 40 mins. When the chicken is dark golden, crispy-skinned and the juices run clear, remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 5 mins. Use a pair of tongs to pull the lemons, garlic and thyme out of the cavity and into the tin. Lift the chicken up, letting any juices dribble into the tin, and transfer the chicken to a serving platter to rest for at least another 15 mins.
• To make the gravy, squeeze the juice out of the cooked lemon halves and discard the skins. Place the tin on a low heat, stir in flour and sizzle until light brown. Gradually pour in the stock and cook for a few mins. If you like a darker gravy, add a splash of soy sauce to the tin. Strain the gravy into a jug and serve with the chicken.

SAGE-ROASTED CHICKEN WITH MADEIRA SAUCE

Steps:

• For brown chicken stock:
• Heat heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add chicken wings to pot and sauté until deep brown, about 10 minutes per batch. Using slotted spoon, remove chicken wings from pot; transfer to large bowl. Add onion and carrots to drippings in pot; sauté until brown, about 10 minutes. Return chicken wings to pot. Add stock and wine and simmer, covered, 1 1/2 hours. Strain stock, discarding solids. (Stock can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cool, then cover and chill.)
• For chicken:
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Place 2 sage leaves under skin of each chicken breast and thigh. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add chicken breasts and thighs and sauté until brown on both sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken thighs to large rimmed baking sheet. Roast 10 minutes. Add breasts to baking sheet and continue roasting chicken until cooked through, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare sauce:
• Discard fat from skillet. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté 2 minutes. Add Madeira and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Add stock, thyme, and sage to skillet and bring to boil. Add carrots and cook over high heat until crisp-tender, about 8 minutes. Add peas; simmer until sauce is slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Whisk remaining 4 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, into sauce. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Serve chicken with sauce.