Chicken, leek & cream linguine recipe

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts, skin on
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 baby leeks, trimmed and sliced on the diagonal
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 shallots, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, skin left on, crushed
• 2 strips of lemon zest
• ¾ cup dry white wine
• ¾ cup Chicken Broth
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• 10 ounces linguine
• 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
• a small squeeze of lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon very finely chopped chives
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 recipe quantity Green Salad, to serve

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat half the oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and fry the chicken 2 to 3 minutes on each side until browned, then transfer to a roasting pan. Roast 10 to 12 minutes, or until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the chicken is pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Let the cooked chicken rest in a warm place.
2. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the leeks and blanch for 30 seconds, then drain, refresh in ice-cold water, drain again and set aside.
3. Melt the butter and the remaining oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallots, garlic, lemon zest and a little salt, and fry 3 minutes until softened but not brown. Turn the heat up to high, add the wine and boil 4 to 5 minutes until almost all the wine has evaporated. Add the broth and boil to reduce again by two thirds. Reduce the heat to low, add the cream and simmer a few minutes until the sauce has slightly thickened and coats the back of a spoon.
4. While the sauce is cooking, bring another pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the linguine, return to a boil and cook about 5 minutes, or as directed on the package. Drain and keep warm.
5. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a clean pot, pushing the shallots with the back of a spoon to make sure all the flavor is squeezed out. Discard the shallots. Bring the cream sauce back to a simmer over medium heat and stir in the mustard and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Spoon the pasta into serving bowls and pour the sauce over it. Scatter the leeks and chives on top, then slice the chicken and arrange it on top of the creamy pasta, Serve with a fresh, green salad.