Chef – February 2018

Roast ChiCken toRteLLini with ButteRnut

sQuash and saGe veLoutÉ

by James Devine

This was my starter in the National Chef of the
Year finals – I sometimes joke that I won the
UK’s most prestigious culinary competition
serving a soup. It’s actually a little more
technical than that. Although, in essence,
it’s still a very simple dish made up of three
main flavours which all marry well. Sat Bains
himself asked for extras, so it must have been
alright I guess!

serves four

chicKen
● 2 chicken legs
● 8 chicken wings
● 1l chicken stock
● 1 white onion
● 20g bacon
● 25g butter
● 4 garlic bulbs
● 1 tsp thyme
● Pinch sea salt

tortellini pAstA
● 250g 00 flour
● 1 egg
● 3 yolks
● 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
● 1 tsp sea salt

velouté
● 1 butternut squash
● 150ml white wine
● 1l chicken stock (use the stock left over
after braising the chicken)
● 100ml cream
● 20g butter

sAGe leAves
● 12 sage leaves
● 25g corn flour
● 25g plain flour
● 100ml sparkling water
● 1 tsp baking powder
● Pinch sea salt

GArnish

● 50g parmesan cheese, grated

● 75g chestnut mushrooms

● Fresh chives, chopped

you Will need

Deep fat fryer or saucepan with oil for frying

Method

chicKen

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4

Remove skin from legs, place between

parchment and cook on a baking tray for

20-25 minutes until golden brown. Cool to the

side

Braise the legs and wings in chicken stock until

tender. Reserve stock for velouté

Keeping the meat intact, pull the two bones

from the wing then chill. Shred the chicken

legs, discarding the bones

Heat butter in a small plan, finely slice the

onion and bacon, and slowly cook until

caramelised

Whilst they’re cooking, finely chop the garlic

and pick the thyme leaves

Combine the shredded chicken meat with the

onion, bacon, thyme and garlic, then season

and chill

When nearly ready to serve, fry the wings

skin side down, until crisp, golden, and hot

throughout

tortellini pAstA

Place the tortellini ingredients in a food

processor and blend into a smooth, firm

dough

Rest for 1 hour before rolling out into long thin

sheets. Cut into eight 7cm circles

Dampen the edges of the pasta with water

then place some of the chicken leg mix into

the centre

Fold over the edges to make a semi-circle and

seal together with your fingers and thumbs

Then bring the corners of the dough together

and press to finish. Place on a floured tray

When ready, cook in boiling water for 4-5

minutes, or until it floats to the surface, and

remove

velouté

Peel and slice the butternut squash. Place in

a saucepan with the wine and just enough of

the braised chicken stock to cover

Gently braise for 15-20 minutes until tender,

then add the cream and butter

Blend until smooth, adding a little more stock

if required, then season and pass through a

fine sieve

sAGe leAves

Whisk together the cornflour, flour, sparkling

water and baking powder until you have a

batter with about the same consistency as

double cream – then season

Coat the sage in a little flour then place in the

batter and deep fry until golden brown

Drain and place on paper towel until ready to

serve

GArnish

Place the grated parmesan on an oven tray

and bake at 180°C /Gas Mark 4 until golden

brown

Remove from the oven, allow to cool, then

finely chop along with the chicken skin to use

as garnish

Finely slice the chestnut mushrooms.

to serve

Pour a spoonful of velouté onto each plate, sit

2 chicken wings and the tortellini in the sauce

and sprinkle with the parmesan and chicken

crumb

Divide the mushrooms between the plates

and garnish each with 2 sage leaves

Lastly, drizzle a little more velouté over each

plate and sprinkle over some chives