Easy Poached Chicken with Salsa
1 hour 15 mins
serves 2
serves 2
Gently poached chicken breasts served with a bright caper-and-parsley salsa verde. Juicy, tender, and never dry.
Easy
Ingredients
*For the chicken and broth
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets (about 300–400 g total), kept around 2 cm thick
2 litres water
1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
1 French shallot, halved
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, stalks only (save the leaves for the salsa)
A strip of lemon zest
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
*For the salsa verde1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves only
1 garlic clove
1 heaped teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon capers
80 ml extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
*For the chicken and broth
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets (about 300–400 g total), kept around 2 cm thick
2 litres water
1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
1 French shallot, halved
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, stalks only (save the leaves for the salsa)
A strip of lemon zest
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
*For the salsa verde1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves only
1 garlic clove
1 heaped teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon capers
80 ml extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Place the water, celery, shallot, garlic, parsley stalks, lemon zest, bay leaf, a generous pinch of salt and a few cracks of pepper into a medium saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
Lower in the chicken breasts. Keep the heat at a very gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes, uncovered.
Turn off the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and let the chicken sit in the hot broth for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The residual heat will gently poach the chicken, leaving it juicy and tender.
While the chicken is poaching, prepare the salsa verde. In a food processor or with a stick blender, blitz the parsley leaves, garlic, mustard, capers, apple cider vinegar, olive oil and a pinch of salt until finely chopped. If needed, add more olive oil until you have a thick, spoonable sauce. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Once the chicken is ready, lift it from the broth and slice it.
Serve warm or at room temperature, generously spooned with the salsa verde, a drizzle of apple cider vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, finished with a crack of pepper.
Place the water, celery, shallot, garlic, parsley stalks, lemon zest, bay leaf, a generous pinch of salt and a few cracks of pepper into a medium saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
Lower in the chicken breasts. Keep the heat at a very gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes, uncovered.
Turn off the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and let the chicken sit in the hot broth for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The residual heat will gently poach the chicken, leaving it juicy and tender.
While the chicken is poaching, prepare the salsa verde. In a food processor or with a stick blender, blitz the parsley leaves, garlic, mustard, capers, apple cider vinegar, olive oil and a pinch of salt until finely chopped. If needed, add more olive oil until you have a thick, spoonable sauce. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Once the chicken is ready, lift it from the broth and slice it.
Serve warm or at room temperature, generously spooned with the salsa verde, a drizzle of apple cider vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, finished with a crack of pepper.