Dinner for One (Me)

Its not often that I get to have a night to myself, but when I do I make the most of it. A DVD that tickles my fancy, usually something B-grade sci-fi, and cook something interesting for myself.
I wondered off to the shops on Carlisle St and came back with a chicken maryland half dozen baby desiree potatoes, some salad leaves, a bottle of white & the B-grade DVD: Lost In Space.
Some rummaging in the fridge revealed fresh tarragon, thyme, garlic & butter.
So here is my dinner for 1: Roast Tarragon chicken with Roast Thyme Potatoes.

Ingredients:
1 chicken maryland, skin on
5 or 6 baby potatoes
1/2 tbls tarragon
1 tsp thyme
1 small clove garlic
1 tbls butter
Salt
Pepper
2 tbls olive oil

Method:
Pre heat the oven to 230c
Peel & steam the potatoes until they are just cooked, easily pierced by a skewer.
Chop the tarragon roughly & place in a small bowl.
Peel the garlic & finely chop or microplane, add to the tarragon
Add about 1/2 tsp salt, & pepper to taste
Add the butter & combine thouroughly.
Place half the mixture under the skin of the chicken & rub the remainder over the top of the chicken.
Place into an oven proof dish just big enough to hold the chicken, skin side up.
Place the olive oil into a bowl & add the thyme leaves, pepper & salt.
When the potatoes are ready rough up the outsides with a fork and add to the bowl containing the thyme & oil, and toss coating the potatoes.
Place into a separate roasting dish from the chicken & scoop out any remaining oil from the bowl. Add a little more oil to the pan if it looks a bit dry.
Place both dished into the oven for about 30min, basting occasionally. Don't over cook the chicken!
Serve with a nice side salad and a fresh bread roll to soak up the juices.

Tarragon Chicken Drumsticks

Whenever my partner Paul tells me that I'm cooking dinner, it always seems to leave me flustered.
Its not that I can't cook, but what to cook.
So many considerations, whats the weather like, what did we have the previous night, what do I feel like having, whats available at the market. I guess its this flustered condition that Paul hates going shopping with me, cause I wonder around the stalls & shops wondering what to make, what looks tempting. Sometimes one ingredient jumps out at me & the whole meal is based around that ingredient. And that was the case with this one. Some wonderful fresh Tarragon. That led to corn-fed chicken drumsticks. A couple of different types of baby potatoes, & some fresh green beans. It ended up being a very delicious meal.

Components:
4 corn-fed chicken drumsticks
1 clove minced garlic
20g butter
1 tbls coarsely chopped fresh Tarragon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
100ml Chicken stock
50ml brandy
100ml cream
1 tbls fresh Tarragon leave to finish

Method
Pre-heat the oven to 220c
Combine butter, garlic, tarragon, salt & pepper to form a paste
Rub the paste evenly over the drumsticks and place into a small baking dish, just big enough so that the pieces aren't touching.
Roast for about 30min turning after 20min.
When ready, remove the drumsticks to a serving dish, cover with foil & allow to rest.
Deglaze the roasting pan by adding the chicken stock, & reduce the liquid.
Heat the brandy in a ladle over a flame & allow to ignite.
Add the flaming brandy to the roasting pan & allow the brany to cook out abit.
Add half the tarragon leaves & cream & allow to heat through.
Season if needed.
Pour the sauce over the drumsticks & sprinkle the remaining tarragon over the top.
I served this with roasted baby potatoes & steamed fresh beans.
But there is no photo as the camera is playing up....