BREAST OF CHICKEN WITH MARINATED BABY FENNEL AND TWICE COOKED POTATOES

Alstonville chickens are a million miles from the bland rice-on-legs that passes for chicken in supermarkets. Breast with the skin on is a million miles from the dry nothingness of skinless breasts. I buy whole chooks, quarter them, use the breasts one day, the legs another and make chicken stock from the carcass. I did just that yesterday and I'm using some of the stock to make pumpkin soup (with deep coloured and richly flavoured pumpkins from our neighbours' property). I have saved a little stock in which I will cook Puy lentils to serve tonight. The baby fennel has been sliced really finely and marinated in grapeseed oil and lemon juice until soft.
Now, the potatoes - and if this isn't the best tasting potato dish you have tried, I'll be surprised.

TWICE COOKED POTATOES
You'll need -
POTATOES
CHICKEN STOCK
UNSALTED BUTTER
COARSE SEA OR RIVER SALT

Heat the oven to 140C. Gently poach cleaned whole Dutch cream (you could also use Nicolas or Bintjes) potatoes in home-made chicken stock (turning them over after about 30 minutes). Once cooked through, remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon and place in a shallow dish. Flatten each potato to about 3 cms with the back of a spatula. Place some good unsalted butter (Lurpak or similar) on top of each potato and sprinkle with coarse salt (fleur de sel, pink Murray) and bake at about 170C for about 45 minutes (or until the skin is the colour you see here).

BREAST OF CHICKEN WITH MARINATED BABY FENNEL AND TWICE COOKED POTATOES