How To Cook Chicken Breast With English Asparagus & Lemon Hollandaise
Prep time
Cook time
Difficultyeasy
Serves2
Ingredients
Ingredients for chicken & asparagus:
2 chicken breasts
Bunch asparagus (blanched in boiling salted water for 1 minute, refreshed in cold water & drained)
Knob of unsalted butter
Sea salt & pepper
Lemon to serve
Ingredients for hollandaise:
100g Clarified butter (take 150g unsalted butter & cook over a medium heat until the fat separates from the solids, pass through a fine strainer & keep warm)
Juice zest 1 lemon
1 free range egg yolk
Salt
Small pinch Cayenne pepper
Method for the chicken
Rub the chicken with a little clarified butter and sea salt.
In a non-stick pan place the chicken skin side down and over a low to medium heat, cook the skin until golden and crisp, turn over, add a knob of butter and tablespoon water and cook through, another 8 to 10 minutes.
Method for the Hollandaise
Place the egg yolk and pass the lemon through a strainer discarding the zest. Add a tablespoon of water into a stainless steel bowl, then over a pan of simmering water (known as a Bain Marie) whisk the eggs continuously until they start to thicken to a ribbon stage. Remove from heat instantly then gradually add the melted butter whisking continuously until rich and velvety.
Season to taste with salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Method for asparagus
Snap the tough ends from the base of the asparagus, peel from the tip down then blanch in boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Refresh in ice-cold water and keep to one side ready to reheat.
When ready to serve, warm through in some melted butter with a splash of water to emulsify and sea salt to taste.
To serve
Carve the chicken into two then place onto warm serving plates, alongside the warm asparagus, a good dollop of hollandaise and a fine grating of fresh lemon zest. I like to serve this with a light, chilled unoaked Chardonnay.
