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Twilight barbecue: chicken breast with sauce vierge

At your next twilight barbecue, let tomato, fresh garden herbs and velvety potato take chicken to a new taste dimension.

Neil Perry
Neil Perry

Twilight delight: Barbecued chicken breast with sauce vierge and potato puree.
Twilight delight: Barbecued chicken breast with sauce vierge and potato puree.William Meppem

Barbecued chicken breast wtih sauce vierge and potato puree

4 x 180g boneless chicken breasts, skin on

sea salt

Velvety potato puree is perfect served with barbecued chicken.
Velvety potato puree is perfect served with barbecued chicken.William Meppem
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extra virgin olive oil

For sauce vierge

3 vine-ripened tomatoes

Serve the squid with crusty bread and a simple green salad.
Serve the squid with crusty bread and a simple green salad.Supplied

2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved

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2 tbsp chopped chervil

2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 tbsp chopped tarragon

8 coriander seeds, crushed

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

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sea salt and freshly ground pepper

For potato purée

600g bintje potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-3cm dice

5 garlic cloves, peeled

sea salt

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150ml milk, warmed

150g unsalted butter, finely diced

freshly ground pepper

1/2 lemon

Serves 4

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For the sauce vierge,
remove stalks from tomatoes and plunge them into boiling water for several seconds. Refresh in iced water and peel off skin with a knife. Cut into quarters, deseed and scoop out the pulp with a spoon, and cut into 2cm dice. Mix diced tomato with all other ingredients in a bowl, then set aside for 1-2 hours.

For potato purée, put potato in a bamboo steamer, add garlic and steam for about 1 hour, or until the potato is cooked. When done, pass the potato and garlic through a food mill, then place in a saucepan over medium heat and stir with a wooden spoon for 1 minute until potato begins to steam. Add a little salt and, while stirring continuously, pour in milk. Add butter a bit at a time and stir until purée is smooth. Add pepper, check salt and squeeze lemon into the purée and stir. Set aside while you cook the chicken.

Preheat barbecue. Sprinkle chicken with sea salt and brush with extra virgin olive oil. Cook on grill for 8 minutes skin side down, then turn and cook for 4 minutes. Remove and rest in a warm place for 10 minutes. Put chicken on plates, spoon over sauce, place a dollop of purée on the side and serve.


Braised squid with spaghetti

125ml extra virgin olive oil

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2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1cm thick slices

1 medium leek, white part only, cut into 1cm thick slices

1 medium brown onion, cut into 1cm dice

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

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sea salt

450g cleaned squid tubes, cut into 1cm strips

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

2 cups red wine

1 tsp salted baby capers, well rinsed and drained

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400g spaghetti

freshly ground pepper

1 large handful flat-leaf parsley

Serves 4

Heat the olive oil in a heavy- based saucepan and add the carrot, leek, onion, garlic, chilli flakes and a little sea salt, stirring for 5 minutes. Add the squid and cook for a further 5 minutes.

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Add the vinegar and wine and simmer slowly, uncovered, for 1 hour. Add the capers, fold through and check the seasoning.

Cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente.

Spoon the pasta into bowls. Spoon the braised squid over the top, season with pepper and sprinkle with parsley.

HOT TIPS

• Use any leftover sauce vierge on breakfast sausages with wilted spinach and sourdough toast - heaven!

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• If you want to go the extra mile with the potato purée, push it through a sieve. You won't be disappointed.

• Any type of pasta will work for the squid dish - I also love using risoni. Baby octopus is a treat in place of the squid.

• Serve the squid with crusty bread for mopping and a simple green salad.

SOMETHING TO DRINK

Pinot noir
The vibrant acidity, red cherry fruit and well-balanced oak of Seresin's 2009 Leah Pinot Noir ($40), which hails from New Zealand's Marlborough region, will ensure the barbecue flavour is carried on.

Photography by William Meppem. Styling by Hannah Meppem. Food preparation by Kirsten Jenkins

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Neil PerryNeil Perry is a restaurateur, chef and former Good Weekend columnist.

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