A BIRD FOR ALL SEASONS
Neil Forbes, patron-chef at Edinburgh’s celebrated Cafe St Honore, explains how to cook three of his favourite chicken dishes
For as long as I can remember we have roasted a chicken at home every Sunday. Even as a child it was deemed a real treat and something to look forward to. For me, those feelings remain. I always look forward to buying, cooking and eating chicken. For not much money, a family can be fed well for several days. One of the many joys from using a whole bird is the versatility of what one can do with all those delicious cuts: leg, breast, wings, oyster and bones.
As I sit at my kitchen table writing this, I have a pot of chicken broth on the stove with barley, leek, onion and pieces of chicken leftovers from our Sunday roast. It’s so delicious and very inexpensive to make.
I buy locally and seasonally for the house and the restaurant, and if I can, organic. I absolutely adore Grierson Organic’s chickens. Owned and run by Hugh and Sascha Grierson, their farm on the rolling Perthshire hills produces fantastic, propertasting, organic, free-range birds. Another fabulous breeder is St Bride’s Poultry, based in Strathaven.
There are some wonderful, classic combinations that marry so well with the flavour of chicken. Mushrooms, tarragon, roast onions, garlic, bacon, wild garlic and spices all work magically to create incredibly flavoursome dishes. Just remember to always rest your bird when it comes out the oven for 20 to 30 minutes to allow the meat to relax.
Hundreds of years ago, King Henry IV of France famously wished that every French family could put a chicken in the pot on Sundays. Hopefully this traditional French (and Scottish!) meal is in no danger of disappearing. May gathering around the table for Sunday lunch remain alive and well!