Anise Poached Chicken
I've been subscribed to the CIA's Kitchen & Cook newsletter for some time, and mostly I've just read it for the technique articles, though they have a number of excellent recipes in each issue. Finally, though, the time to cook has come.
Anise Poached Chicken
2 star anise
1 qt chicken broth
2 carrots, peeled and quartered
2 chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
1 TBSP butter
1 tsp chopped chives
Simmer the star anise and the carrots in the chicken broth in a small saucepan until their flavor has infused into the liquid, about 20 minutes. Lower flame to just under a simmer.
Lay the chicken breasts into the pot. They should not touch, and should be covered by at least 2 inches of liquid. Cover the pot tightly. Leave pot over the lowest flame possible for 10 minutes. Turn off flame and leave the pot undisturbed for 20 minutes more.
In a small pan, heat a few tablespoons of the poaching liquid; whisk in the butter and chives. Transfer the poached chicken to serving plates; serve with the carrots and drizzle with the butter-chive sauce, garnished with star anise.
Posted by Jennifer at February 26, 2006 5:57 PM | TrackBackThis was just amazing. The chicken was tender and perfectly cooked, and the carrots and anise had infused it with a wonderful, delicate flavor. The butter-chive sauce was a nice addition too. A definite winner!
Posted by: Michael at February 27, 2006 7:47 PMSo... last night I made a crimini mushroom risotto with the stock I had saved from poaching the chicken. Just your basic recipe, starting with some sauteed shallots and then the long process of stirring risotto and adding the anise-infused stock 1/2 cup at a time. About half-way through, two handfuls of the sliced mushrooms went in and I finished it off with about 1/3 cup of freshly grated parmesan. I thought it came out very well - and using the seasoned stock added enough to make it just that much different. Yum.
Posted by: Jennifer at March 2, 2006 5:40 PM