Roast chicken with anchovy butter, green tomatoes and deep-fried sage
Serves 4
The sharp, clean sweetness of the green tomatoes offers a clean, pure contrast to the deep, salty flavour of the anchovies. If you can't get hold of green tomatoes, use a quality vine tomato such as San Marzano.
For the anchovy butter
150g/5oz unsalted butter
1 tin of anchovies in olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
1 small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, stalks off, leaves only, finely chopped
A few grindings of black pepper
4 chicken supremes (the breast and wing tip – ask your butcher to do this cut for you)
1 bunch of sage
2 green tomatoes, sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil, enough to fry the sage
Heat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas7. For the anchovy butter, place all the ingredients into a blender and purée until smooth. Remove to a small bowl and set aside.
Place a frying pan large enough to accommodate the chicken over a medium heat. When hot, pour in a tablespoon of oil.
Season the chicken generously on both sides and fry skin-side down. When the skin is crispy and golden, place the pan in the oven and roast for 6-8 minutes. Take out of the oven, remove the chicken from the pan and keep warm.
Place the pan that you have cooked the chicken in (with the oil still in it) over a medium heat. When smoking, add the sage and fry until crispy; this will not take long. Divide the tomatoes between four plates. Lay the chicken on top and spoon over the anchovy butter. Finish with the sage.
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