Cauliflower & Chicken Ragout

Cauliflower and chicken ragout is a classic, mild dish. Tender pieces of cooked chicken and small cauliflower florets are brought together in a light, creamy sauce based on chicken stock and a pale roux. Crispy hazelnuts add a delicate, nutty touch. Simple, nourishing and timeless – delicious with rice, mashed potatoes or in vol-au-vents.

Serves: 4
Preparation: approx. 15 minutes
Cooking: approx. 25 minutes
Total time: approx. 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 medium cauliflower
• 2 chicken breasts (approx. 300–350 g)
• approx. 800 ml light chicken stock (of which 400 ml for the ragout)
• 1 small bay leaf
• 30 g butter
• 30 g flour
• 100 ml cream
• 1 tsp dried tarragon
• pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• salt
• white pepper
• approx. 20–25 g hazelnuts (about 10 hazelnuts)

Preparation

• Remove the leaves and core from the cauliflower.
• Cut the cauliflower into small, even florets.
• Bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil. Cook the cauliflower florets for 5–7 minutes until just tender, still with a slight bite. Drain, briefly rinse cold and leave to drain. Set aside.
• Place the chicken breasts in a pan and pour in enough light chicken stock to just cover the chicken (use from the total amount). Add the bay leaf and a pinch of salt.
• Bring gently to just below the boil and poach the chicken for 10–12 minutes, without letting it boil hard.
• Remove the chicken from the stock and let it cool slightly. Strain the stock, measure out 400 ml for the ragout and keep it warm. Save the rest for a soup if you like.
• Pull or cut the chicken into rough, bite-sized pieces.
• Roughly chop the hazelnuts.
• Toast them briefly in a dry frying pan over a medium-high heat until they lightly colour and smell fragrant.
• Let the nuts cool on a plate. If you like, rub the lukewarm nuts in a clean cloth to remove some of the skins.

Method

1. Make a pale, thickened sauce
   Melt the butter in a medium pan over a low heat. Add the flour all at once and stir into a smooth, pale roux. Cook gently for 2–3 minutes without colouring. Add the warm stock (400 ml) little by little, stirring or whisking well, until a smooth sauce forms. Let the sauce simmer gently over a low heat for 5 minutes so it can thicken slightly.
2. Finish the sauce
   Stir in the cream. Season with the dried tarragon, salt, white pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. After this, do not let the sauce boil again, just keep it gently warm so it stays smooth and creamy.
3. Add the cauliflower and chicken
   Fold the cauliflower florets and the shredded chicken into the sauce. Warm everything through gently for a few minutes over a low heat, without letting it boil, until the chicken and cauliflower are piping hot and the sauce coats all the ingredients.
4. Serve the cauliflower and chicken ragout
   Spoon the cauliflower and chicken ragout into deep plates or bowls. Sprinkle with the roughly chopped, toasted hazelnuts just before serving for a delicate, nutty crunch. Delicious with cooked rice, mashed potatoes or served in crispy vol-au-vents or puff pastry cases.