I just adore tarragon and how the herb’s bittersweet and subtle anise notes sink into the chicken in this recipe. Mixed with succulent chard stems and their leaves, crème fraîche, the chicken’s roasting juices and finely chopped lemon zest, it’s a completely joyous filling, encased in the most wonderful nutty, rich emmer pastry. Emmer, an ancient durum wheat known as farro in Italy, was one of the first grains cultivated by man. Its earthy, subtly sweet flavour and creamy texture work so well here in the pastry and with the filling.
Serving Size
Serves 12-16
Cook Time
15 Minutes + 30 Minutes
WHAT YOU NEED
For the Filling
1 medium chicken, about 1.4kg (3lb 2½oz)
½ lemon, halved
1 small onion, quartered, skin left on
3 garlic cloves, crushed, skins left on
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
600g (1lb 5oz) chard leaves and stems
350g (12oz / 1½ cups) crème fraîche
large bunch of tarragon (50g / 1¾oz), leaves stripped and roughly chopped
For the Pastry (Pie Dough)
225g (8oz / 1 cup / 2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus more for the tin (pan)
450g (1lb / scant 3½ cups) wholegrain emmer flour, plus more to dust
1½ tsp sea salt flakes
4 medium eggs, plus 1 egg yolk to glaze
1 tbsp whole milk
WHAT TO DO
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Place the chicken in a roasting tin (pan) and stuff the cavity with the lemon, onion and garlic. Drizzle the skin with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 1 hour, or until the juices run clear when it is pierced through the thick part of a thigh.
Butter a 23cm (9in) springform cake tin (pan). Line with baking parchment.
Make the pastry. In a freestanding mixer fitted with a paddle, combine the flour and salt. Add the cubes of butter and mix until it resembles crumbs. Mix the eggs with a fork and add, mixing to combine. (The pastry can be frozen at this point for up to 1 month.) Place two-thirds of the dough (about 610g / 1lb 5oz) on a lightly floured piece of baking parchment. Cover with more flour, then another piece of parchment and roll out into a 3mm- (⅛in-) thick circle big enough to line the prepared tin (pan), then line the tin (pan). Trim the edges and chill for 30 minutes. Roll out the second piece into a rough circle about 25cm (10in) in diameter and chill between the 2 pieces of parchment.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Line the pastry shell with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and paper and bake for a further 10 minutes, or until golden brown and hard to the touch.
Meanwhile, heat a saucepan with hot water and salt it a little. Remove the chard leaves from the stems, then cut the stems into rough 1cm (½in) pieces. Place the stems in the boiling water with the leaves on top; boil for 1 minute. Strain through a colander and, when cool, squeeze out the chard leaves.
Remove the meat from the chicken; you want 500g (1lb 2oz) of meat. Rip into large bite-sized pieces and place in a bowl. Squeeze any of the juice from the lemon over, then chop up the peel finely and add that, too. Add 100g (3½oz / generous ⅓ cup) of the chicken’s cooking juices, the crème fraîche, tarragon leaves and chard, ripping up the chard leaves as they are added. Mix and season well. Put in the baked tart shell. Mix the egg yolk with the milk and brush this over the rim. Take out the chilled circle of pastry and flip it on to the top, pressing it into the edges to stick, folding over excess and crimping it. Brush the top with the remaining yolk mix. Cut a cross in the middle and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and firm to the touch.
Leave to cool slightly in the tin (pan), then enjoy warm. Keep any leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for about 4 days.
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