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Chicken and chips

Nigel Haworth from Market Kitchen
A great British classic of chicken, chips, onion rings and mushrooms smothered with a garlic and herb sauce from Nigel Haworth

Chicken and chips

Method

1. For the chicken: mix together the oil, thyme, rosemary and garlic in a saucepan. Gently warm to help the flavours infuse, then leave to cool completely. Set aside a quarter of the mixture for dressing the salad. Save the rest for another recipe.

2. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4.

3. Brush the chicken breasts with the herb and garlic oil. Heat a griddle pan and put the chicken on, skin-side down. Cook for 30 seconds then rotate by quarter of a turn to get criss-cross char markings on the skin. Turn over a griddle for 1 minute more.

4. Transfer to the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until cooked through. Test by gently pressing on the top with your finger - if it is quite springy too the touch you chicken breast should be ready. Leave to rest while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

5. For the mushrooms: brush with the melted butter and grill for 3-4 minutes, gill-side up.

6. For the garlic and herb sauce: in a heavy-bottomed pan, bring the chicken stock and cream to the boil and reduce by one third.

7. Squeeze in the roasted garlic and liquidize the sauce with a stick blender or in a food processor. Pass through a fine sieve. Stir in the herbs.

8. For the salad: dress the watercress with the reserved herb oil.

9. For the chips: peel and cut the potatoes into chips 10cm long and 1.5cm wide.

10. Heat the beef dripping in a deep-fat fryer or large pan to 140C. Blanch the chips in fat until softened. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

11. Turn up the heat on the deep fat-fryer to 180C and plunge the chips back in the dripping until golden brown.

12. For the onion rings: mix the flour, baking powder and salt, then add the water to make a batter.

13. Dust the onion rings in seasoned flour, shake off any excess and dip into the batter. Deep-fry in the beef dripping at 180C for 2-3 minutes, until golden brown.

14. Serve the chicken with the mushrooms, salad, chips, onion rings and a jug of the sauce on the side.