Chicken and Tarragon Crumble (4)
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Set the oven at 200C/gas mark 6. Put the chicken thighs in a roasting tin, each one set slightly apart from the next. Tuck a clove of garlic, whole and unpeeled, under each then pour over the olive oil and season with salt and black pepper.
  2. Bake for about 45 minutes, basting half-way through, until they are crisp-skinned and cooked through.
  3. Cut the leeks into 3cm rounds, discarding the darkest and toughest of the leaves, then rinse very thoroughly in cold running water.
  4. Put them in a deep pan, pour in the roasting juices and fat from the chicken pan, then cover with a piece of greaseproof paper and a lid and leave to cook over a low to moderate heat for about 10 minutes. Check their progress and stir them as they soften, making sure they do not colour.
  5. Meanwhile, remove the meat from the bones, setting the skin aside, and tear into large pieces.
  6. Place the roasting tin over a moderate heat and pour in the cream, scraping at any roasted bits on the pan and stirring them into the cream.
  7. Put the chicken meat into the roasting tin, stir in the parsley and tarragon and the leeks and check the seasoning. Transfer to a large baking dish.
  8. Chop the chicken skin, mix it with the breadcrumbs, then scatter over the chicken. Trickle olive oil over the crumbs and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the crust is crisp and the sauce is bubbling.