Recipe
Cold Poached Chicken with Tarragon Green Sauce
Chicken legs poached gently in seasoned stock until silky and just cooked through, served cold with a sharp green sauce built on tarragon, parsley, capers, and lemon. Perfect for a summer table.
Method
Place the chicken legs skin-side up in a pot wide enough to hold them in a single layer. Add the water or stock, onion halves, bay leaves, peppercorns, thyme sprigs and salt. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat.
The moment the liquid comes to the boil, reduce the heat to the lowest setting. The surface should barely tremble — almost no movement. Partially cover with a lid. Cook for 35–40 minutes at this temperature. If the water is bubbling at any point, reduce the heat further. Test doneness by inserting a metal skewer at the thickest part of the thigh and holding it there for 5 seconds: the juices that run out should be completely clear with no trace of pink.
Remove the pan from heat. Allow the chicken to cool in the poaching liquid for at least 30 minutes — this is the step that prevents the chicken from drying out as it rests. The liquid is now a light, well-flavoured stock: save it for a soup or risotto.
While the chicken cools, make the green sauce. Combine the parsley, tarragon, capers, garlic, Dijon mustard and lemon juice in a food processor. Pulse 6–8 times to a rough, chunky paste — don't over-process into a smooth purée. With the motor running, pour in the olive oil in a thin stream until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Taste: the sauce should be assertively sharp, herby, and slightly briny. Add more lemon if it needs lifting, more oil if it's too thick or sharp.
The chicken can be refrigerated in its poaching liquid at this point and kept for up to 2 days. To serve: lift the chicken from the liquid and pat dry with kitchen paper. Arrange on a serving plate or board.
Spoon the green sauce generously over and around the chicken. Serve at room temperature (not cold from the fridge) with dressed salad leaves, sliced tomatoes, cold grain salad, or simply good bread. The sauce doubles as a dressing for anything else on the table.
✦ Chef's note
This dish scales easily: poach 6–8 chicken legs in the same pot with the same aromatics (just ensure they're submerged) and the cooking time barely changes. The green sauce can also be made by hand — finely chop the herbs and capers, mince the garlic, and whisk with the mustard, lemon and oil for a more rustic, textured sauce. If tarragon isn't available, all parsley works well. A handful of spinach or rocket added to the food processor gives a deeper green colour. The poaching liquid, once cooled, makes an excellent base for a light vegetable soup or risotto — it carries the aromatics from the pot and has a gentle chicken flavour.