CHICKEN AND FONDANT POTATOES
Chicken and fondant potatoes with thyme and onion gravy, creamed spinach and stewed cape peaches. Made a version of fondant potatoes where I fried the chicken pieces in the same casserole dish so that it could bake together in the oven.
Note:
The amount of the ingredients depends on the number of people.
- potatoes
- chicken pieces
- sunflower or canola oil
- unsalted butter
- chicken stock
- dry thyme
- onion, chopped
Fondant potatoes:
Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC.
Peel the potatoes and cut to size. In a professional kitchen they must be similar in size (diameter and thickness), but I just made sure they were the same thickness.
Fry the potatoes in little oil in a pot or casserole dish that can go onto hob as well as into the oven.
I used my big heavy cast iron pot.
Fry about 5 mins per side (in sunflower or canola oil) or until golden brown.
Add about 50 g of unsalted butter (the first time I used salted butter, but with the stock added it made it too salty, therefore unsalted butter is recommended) to the pot and allow to melt and bubble.
Add 1 cup of hot chicken stock to the pot. Be careful as it will splatter.
Add the chicken pieces with the thyme and onion.
Put the pot straight into a pre-heated oven (uncovered) at 200° for about 30 minutes, pour extra hot water in the pot over the potatoes with regular intervals if needed.
I just added 2 cups of chicken stock at the beginning and it was enough liquid. Once the potatoes are soft inside when tested with a thin sharp knife, remove from the oven and serve.
Recipe and photo: Elsabie Templeton
