Lavender Honey Glazed Chicken With Lentils And Black Olive Puree Food

WARM LENTIL SALAD WITH HONEY GLAZED DUCK BREAST, LARDONS, AND FRISEE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Score the skin side of the duck breasts on the diagonal in both directions. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Using a pastry brush, brush the breasts with honey. Transfer to a hot saute pan with 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Pan sear the duck breasts skin-side down until golden. Place the duck, skin-side-up in the pan in the oven and cook until rare, about 7 minutes. Slice the duck and fan around the bottom of the warm lentils and frisee.
• In a medium stockpot, combine lentils, stock, salt and pepper to taste, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook until the lentils are just tender. Cool the lentils in the stock to room temperature. In a large saute pan over medium heat with butter and olive oil, saute bacon until just brown. Add onion, shallot, carrot, and celery. Saute until the vegetables are just tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the champagne vinegar and mustard. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain the lentils and add to the vegetables. Toss with the warm vinaigrette. Mix until just combined and warm. Place 3 slices of duck on top of a bed of frisee. Pile the lentils on top of the duck and fan duck slices around the bottom of the salad.

MOROCCAN-STYLE CHICKEN WITH LENTILS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F Rub 1 tbsp olive oil into the chicken thighs. Mix the garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper and paprika together, then rub all over the chicken thighs on both sides.
• Heat a large flameproof casserole, add the chicken thighs and cook over a medium heat for 5 mins until golden on both sides.
• You might need to do this in 2 batches, depending on the size of the casserole. Set the chicken aside. Turn down the heat, add the remaining oil and fry the onion for 5 mins until softened.
• Stir in the rest of the ingredients, apart from the mint and bring to the boil. Place the chicken thighs on top and pour in any juices. Cover and cook for 1½ hrs, until the meat is tender and the sauce thickened. Season to taste.
• Can be cooled and frozen at this stage for up to 1 month.
• Defrost thoroughly in the fridge, then gently warm through. Scatter with fresh mint leaves and serve with couscous or rice.

PAN-FRIED GLAZED CHICKEN WITH BASIL - WW

Steps:

• Sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add chicken; cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn chicken, and cook 6 minutes or until chicken is done.
• Stir in vinegar, honey, and basil; cook an additional 1 minute.

HOMEMADE LAVENDER HONEY

Steps:

• Warm the honey in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir in the lavender. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours.
• Warm the honey again over low heat until it is liquid enough to pour freely. Strain through a wire sieve (I place a clean paper coffee filter inside the mesh strainer), into a clean jar. Cool and cover.
• Store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months. Serve at room temperature.

LAVENDER, LOVAGE AND LIME ROAST CHICKEN WITH HONEY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 190C, 400F, gas mark 5.
• Combine the lime(lemon), onion and garlic with the butter. Stuff half of this under the skin of the chicken, working carefully under the skin of the breast. Put the remaining flavoured butter inside the bird, with the chopped lovage (celery stalks/leaves) and the lavender flowers. Secure the skin over the neck with a skewer and put the chicken in a roasting tray.
• Combine the olive oil and honey in a pan and heat gently so the honey liquefies. Stir, then pour over the chicken. Season well.
• Roast for 45 minutes per kg plus 20 minutes, basting every 20 minutes or so.
• If the chicken seems to be browning too quickly, cover it with foil half way through cooking. To test whether the chicken is cooked, pierce it with a skewer in the thickest part. If the juices run clear, it is cooked. Leave to stand, covered with foil, for 20 minutes before carving.
• Garnish with lavender and lovage sprigs.
• Carve at the table and serve with the pan juices, green beans and apple & potato purée.

LAVENDER LEMON CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a small bowl or mortar and pestle coarsely crush lavender and thyme. Then stir together with butter, zest, salt and pepper until well combined.
• Spoon mixture onto a sheet of plastic wrap and form into a 4-inch log. Chill butter log until firm, at least 30 minutes, and up to 3 days.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Rinse chicken and pat dry.
• Slice herb butter and reserve 2 tablespoons for sauce.
• Slide hand under skin of chicken breast to loosen skin from meat. Insert about 3/4's of the butter under the skin and spread the rest over the outside of chicken.
• Truss chicken. Place the chicken in a flameproof roasting pan.
• Slice the onion into large pieces and scatter around the chicken.
• Roast bird in middle of oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of a thigh (be careful not to touch bone) registers 170° to 175°F.
• It will take roughly 55-65 minutes for a four pound chicken and 8 minutes more per every pound over that.
• Lift chicken and tilt, emptying any juices from cavity into roasting pan.
• Remove the chicken to a platter, cover loosely with foil.
• Sauce: Add vermouth to pan. Place pan over high heat; bring vermouth to boil, scraping up any browned bits and onions.
• Strain the mixture into cup with pan juices.
• Spoon fat off and pour back into the pan. Add reserved 2 tablespoons herb butter and bring to a simmer - or melt butter before adding to pan.
• When butter has completely melted add flour and whisk until smooth.
• Serve sauce with chicken.

LAVENDER AND HONEY ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive bowl and stir thoroughly.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F Season a whole chicken or chicken pieces (leave the skin on) with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for 30 minutes (reduce time for a smaller bird such as a poussin or cornish hen).
• Baste with the lavender honey marinade every 5 minutes or so for an additional 30 minutes or until completely cooked. The bird is done when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°F Do not overcook.
• [Chef's Note: Once the bird has browned nicely, you can cover it with foil until it is finished cooking to prevent the skin and marinade from burning. Once finished, you can brush additional marinade between the flesh and the skin.].