Poached Chicken Breasts In Tarragon Mayonnaise

Photo: Beverley Ann D'Cruz

Ingredients

4 Chicken breasts

Chicken stock

1 Greenleaf lettuce

Nasturtium flowers and leaves

1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons /30ml lemon juice, well strained

1 good handful fresh French tarragon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 few grindings white pepper

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 cup /250ml olive oil

Preparation

Gently poach chicken breasts in chicken stock. Set aside, covered to keep warm and moist.

Drop the egg yolk, lemon juice, French tarragon, salt, pepper and mustard into a blender or food processor. (Freeze the white to use another time, or add it to your scrambled eggs at breakfast tomorrow.) Whiz until well emulsified. With the blender running, start adding the olive oil a few drops at a time.

As it emulsifies, you can start adding it in a thin stream. Keep an eye on it, to make sure it emulsifies well and you do not add the oil to fast. When done, taste it and adjust seasoning.

Arrange lettuce leaves on a platter so that they will form a pretty

"skirt" around the edges. Arrange the chicken breasts on top and cover them with the tarragon mayonnaise. Garnish them with the nasturtiums and leaves (these are edible and have a wonderful peppery flavor).