The freshness of this dish makes it great for summer, either as a light lunch or part of a fabulous dinner party. We started with the sauce. In a pan I gently cooked some white onion without color until soft. Into this I added some apricot juice and reduced to about one third of the volume. I put in a hand full of nibbed almonds and stirred well. Into the pan I added some light béchamel and gently warmed through but not boiling it as it will stick to the bottom of the pan .Season the sauce a little with salt and pepper and leave to one side. The chicken breast is first sealed in a hot pan to give a golden color to the skin. Seasoned and roasted in a medium hot oven for twenty to thirty minutes until cooked but still juicy. We have served the dish with vegetables. I cut some red pepper into very thin strips and quickly cooked them in some hot olive oil. I then added some hot steamed fine French beans and some snow peas , or mange tout. Mix together and make a small mound on the middle of the plate. Place the chicken on top of this and carefully run some sauce around the outside of the plate. Some toasted sliced almonds, some sliced apricot and some finely chopped tarragon were finally sprinkled around to finish the taste and of course add to the appearance. For those who have a problem with nuts, this is not a problem as they can simply be left out. That is it, nice and simple but tastes and looks great.
Enjoy.
Paul Vincent: Head Chef