Name: Chicken, pea and fennel broth with tarragon sauce
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 80 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 50 ml olive oil; 2 small leeks, thinly sliced; 1½ bulbs of baby fennel, thinly sliced using a mandolin (fronds reserved); 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped; 1 fresh organic chicken (1.8kg); 2 bay leaves; 4 pieces of lemon rind, removed with a peeler; 200 gm day-old crustless sourdough bread, coarsely torn; 150 gm frozen peas; Tarragon sauce; 30 gm day-old crustless sourdough bread, coarsely torn; 50 ml lemon juice; 25 ml tarragon or white wine vinegar; 2 hard-boiled egg yolks; ¾ cup each of (loosely packed) tarragon and flat-leaf parsley leaves; 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped; 150 ml olive oil

Chicken, pea and fennel broth with tarragon sauce

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for chicken, pea and fennel broth with tarragon sauce

Serves 6

Prep

20M

Cook

1H 20M

Total

1H 40M

A good-quality chook is essential in this recipe.

Ingredients

50 ml olive oil

2 small leeks, thinly sliced

1½ bulbs of baby fennel, thinly sliced using a mandolin (fronds reserved)

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 fresh organic chicken (1.8kg)

2 bay leaves

4 pieces of lemon rind, removed with a peeler

200 gm day-old crustless sourdough bread, coarsely torn

150 gm frozen peas

Tarragon sauce

30 gm day-old crustless sourdough bread, coarsely torn

50 ml lemon juice

25 ml tarragon or white wine vinegar

2 hard-boiled egg yolks

¾ cup each of (loosely packed) tarragon and flat-leaf parsley leaves

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

150 ml olive oil

Method

Main

1.Heat oil in a large casserole over medium heat. Add leek, fennel and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft (10 minutes). Add chicken, bay leaves, lemon rind and 2½ litres cold water. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, weight down chicken with a plate and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and cook gently until meat is falling from the bone (about 1 hour).

2.Remove chicken from casserole (let broth continue to simmer). When chicken is cool, coarsely shred meat (discard skin and bones) and return to soup, add bread, season, and continue simmering until soup thickens (about 5 minutes). Add peas, cook for another 1-2 minutes then stir in fennel fronds.

3.Meanwhile for tarragon sauce, soak bread in lemon juice and vinegar until soft (about 10 minutes). Transfer to food processor, then add egg yolks, herbs and garlic and process until smooth. Add olive oil in a steady stream and process to combine. Season to taste, then serve drizzled over bowls of hot broth.

Styling by Emma Knowles

Styling by Vanessa Austin