(serves 4 easily)
1 tbsp butter
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 medium roasting chicken
1 onion, roughly sliced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans whole tomatoes
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup good brandy
salt and pepper
Butter the bottom and sides of a heavy pot with a lid and lay half the bunch of thyme on the bottom. Put the chicken BREAST-SIDE DOWN on the thyme. Scatter the onion and garlic around the chicken. Now, crush the tomatoes by hand onto a bowl and add the sour cream and brandy. Mix well. Pour over the chicken and salt and pepper the whole lot. Put the lid on tightly and braise in a very slow oven, 100 degrees celsius or 200 degrees fahrenheit, for at least three hours. You will find that the sauce is rather fatty on top when you take off the lid, so in serving, simply reach your ladle down under the surface for the less fatty bits. The fat won’t hurt you, but it looks nicer if you can leave the fat behind. I think the fat issue could be dissolved if you skinned the chicken prior to cooking, but I worry that it could dry out. I’d rather a bit of fat.
When you get home, the aroma of this dish, cooking itself without any help from you, will make your heart sing. All that’s required is that you boil a few potatoes and mash them, and saute a package of tenderstem broccoli. Perfect. And while it’s something I love about living in London, it’s also something you can love about living where YOU do.
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(serves about six, 1 1/4 cups)
2 large egg yolks or 3 medium egg yolks
1 cup/225g/two sticks butter, melted and hot
2 tbsps lemon juice
sea salt to taste
boiling water if needed
Put the egg yolks in the blender of food processor and blend at low speed just to mix. Then, keeping the blender going, add the boiling water and then the butter, VERY slowly! Just a thin stream. Add the lemon juice and salt, keeping the machine going all the time. Voila. If the sauce feels too thick, just add a trickle of boiling water and process again. When making Eggs Benedict, assemble the muffin, bacon and egg and process the Hollandaise once more just before serving.
Now, if you want to turn this already perfect sauce into the more festive mousseline, fold in gently about 1/2 cup whipped double cream RIGHT before serving. Don’t add it ahead of time or the sauce will get runny.
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