Hot toddy chicken with parsnip mash

Categories: January

Ingredients

• 12 pancetta slices
• 6 chicken breasts with skin (wing bone attached, optional)
• 90g unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• pared zest of 2 lemons, plus the juice of 1
• 125ml whisky
• 2 tbsp runny honey
• 200ml fresh chicken stock, hot
• 1 bay leaf, plus extra leaves to garnish (optional)
• 1 1/2 tbsp plain flour
• 6 parsnips, chopped
• pinch of grated nutmeg
• 6 tbsp single cream
• chopped fresh flatleaf parsley, to garnish

Directions

1. Cook the pancetta in a frying pan over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until crisp. Set aside on kitchen paper. Season the chicken. Melt 25g butter and the oil in the same frying pan. When melted, add the chicken, skin side down, and lemon zest and fry for 6 minutes, turning halfway, until browned. Remove the pan from the heat, then lift the chicken and lemon zest out onto a plate lined with kitchen paper. Set aside.

2. Off the heat, add the whisky to the frying pan. Return to a low heat, cook for 1 minute, then carefully ignite the whisky using a lit taper or long kitchen lighter. When the flames die out, add the lemon juice, honey, stock and bay leaf. Mix 30g butter with the flour. Gradually whisk into the sauce, until slightly thickened. Return the set-aside chicken and lemon zest to the pan and simmer for 10-12 minutes, turning the chicken halfway, until the chicken is cooked through. Discard the bay leaf.

3. Meanwhile, cook the parsnips in boiling salted water for 10 minutes, until tender. Drain and put into a processor along with the remaining butter, nutmeg and cream. Season to taste and whizz until smooth.

4. Divide the parsnip mash between plates, then top with the chicken and crisp pancetta. Drizzle over the sauce and sprinkle with the parsley. Garnish with extra bay leaves, if you like, and serve.

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