烤雞和檸檬龍蒿葉汁 Roast Chicken with Lemon & Tarragon Sauce

在英國，很少人會不愛吃星期天烤肉午餐的。普通的烤肉餐通常包括一種肉類和兩三款蔬菜，伴以燒汁同吃。肉方面的選擇有牛、羊、豬和雞。

Almost everybody in the UK loves a Sunday roast. A Sunday roast usually consists of one meat with at least two types of vegetables plus gravy. The meat is normally beef, lamb, pork or chicken.

如果是在家親自動手做的話，相信最受歡迎的會是烤牛肉。因為傳統上是用約克郡布丁伴碟上桌的，而約克郡布丁幾乎每個人都會愛吃。

烤雞則會是最大眾化。主要因為雞的價錢較亷宜，也最容易烹調。

If cooking at home, I would say roast beef probably is the most popular; this may be because it traditionally is served with Yorkshire pudding, and Yorkshire puddings are loved by everybody.  

Roast chicken could well be the most common, simply because chicken is more affordable and the easiest to cook.

事實上，不論是在家或是在餐廳；每天都會有很多人吃烤雞。而烤牛、羊或豬呢，則多數只在星期天才有得供應。

In fact, roast chicken are being served at home or in restaurants all through the week, whilst roast beef, lamb and pork are very likely only served on Sundays.

我很喜歡做烤雞吃。方法有許多種。

I love cooking roast chicken. There are so many ways to do it. 

其中最簡單卻又最滋味的，就是用龍蒿葉、蒜頭和檸檬同烤的方法。這一道配方在我們家是非常受歡迎的。

One of the most simple and delicious method is to roast it with Tarragon, garlic and lemon. And that is got to be one of our all-time favourites.

龍蒿葉是一種帶有類似八角香氣的新鮮香草。非常適合與魚、雞和蛋等一起做料理。

如果你找不到新鮮的龍蒿葉，用乾的也行。或者兩種都買不到的話，用迷迭香代替好了。

Tarragon is a fresh herb that has an aromatic scent and flavour similar to anise. It goes very well with fish, chicken and egg dishes.  If you can’t get hold of the fresh tarragon, you can use the dry herbs instead; alternatively, you can replace it with Rosemary if you can’t find both.

龍蒿葉的味道很複雜。隱約中可以嚐到少許的薄荷、松果、胡椒、亁草等味道；苦中帶甜。與蒜頭、酒和厚奶油 ( Double cream ) 同煮出來的汁，伴著烤雞一起吃，好比蛋糕上的奶油般完美。

Tarragon has a combination of many flavours, having a hint of mint, pine, pepper and hay with a slight bittersweet taste. Cook it with garlic, wine and cream to produce a sauce to serve with the chicken, is like the icing on a cake.

上星期，我和女兒忙於為她收拾要搬去倫敦的東西，沒有太多時間預備飯菜，我便用同一個方法做了两頓烤雞。那好吃的味道讓我等不及的要把食譜和你們分享。

Last week, my daughter and I were very busy sorting out her things to take back to London. We didn’t have a lot of time to prepare dinner, so I cooked this roast chicken twice. And they were so delicious that I couldn’t wait to share the recipe with you. 

烤雞和檸檬龍蒿葉汁 

( 4 人用 )

材料：

• 走地雞或粟米雞 1 隻，約 2 kg ( 4.5 lb ) 左右
• 新鮮的龍蒿葉 6 株  ( 或 2 湯匙乾的也可 )
• 蒜頭 8 粒拍扁
• 檸檬 1 隻
• 白酒 1 杯
• 上湯 8fl oz ( 可用好質素的雞或菜精粒開水 )
• 厚奶油 ( Double cream ) 4fl oz 
• 鮮磨海鹽黑椒適量
• 糖 1 茶匙
• 橄欖油  2 湯匙

做法：

1. 預熱烤爐至 220C / 425F / Gas7。用鮮磨海鹽黑椒，半隻檸檬的汁和 1 湯匙橄欖油塗沒雞的內外全身。把 6 粒拍扁了的蒜頭、3 株龍蒿葉和那半隻已擠了汁的檸檬塞進雞的內腔去。放進烤盤上，置烤爐內烤 15 分鐘。把雞取出反轉，將温度調至 180C / 350F / Gas4，放回烤 30 分鐘，然後取出反轉。再烤 30 分鐘 ( 前後約 1 小時 15 分鐘 )。取出用尖刀插進厚的脾肉部份，流出來的汁液是清的便是熟了。
2. 把兩粒蒜頭剁成蓉。用中火燒熱鍋，下 1 湯匙橄欖油，加入蒜蓉爆香但不焦黑。放進 3 株切碎了的龍蒿葉一起拌炒一回，下酒轉大火煮滾並收乾一半，倒入上湯煮滾，把餘下的半隻檸檬擠汁下鍋，加糖，再煮滾後注進厚奶油拌勻，煮滾。調教稀稠合度，太稀的話煮多一點收汁，太稠的話可加少許牛奶。試味，如有剩餘的龍蒿葉，可切碎洒在汁面倒進汁瓶上桌 。

Roast Chicken with Lemon & Tarragon Sauce

( serves 4 )

Ingredients:

• 1 free-range, or corn-fed chicken, about 2kg (4.5 lb)
• 6 sprigs fresh tarragon ( or 2 tablespoon dry tarragon )
• 8 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 lemon
• 1 glass white wine
• 8fl oz stock ( can use chicken or vegetable stock cube to make stock )
• 4fl oz double cream
• Freshly milled salt and black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoon Oliver oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 220C / 425F / Gas7. Season the chicken by spreading inside and out with freshly milled salt and pepper, half of the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Put the 6 crushed garlic, 3 sprigs of the tarragon and the squeezed half lemon inside the chicken cavity.  Place the chicken on a roasting dish or tin, cook in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then take the chicken out to turn it over; lower the temperature to 180C / 350F / Gas4, and cook for 30 minutes.  Turn it over again to cook for another 30 minutes ( altogether 1 hour 15 minutes ).  Check the chicken is cooked through by inserting a sharp knife into the thickest part of the thigh - the juices should run clear.
2. Minced the 2 cloves of garlic, heat a sauce pan with medium heat, add the 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then the garlic to stir-fry, take care not to burn them. Add the chopped 3 sprigs of tarragon to stir together, pour in the wine, bring to boil to reduce it by half. Add the stock and bring back to boil, squeeze in the juice of the remaining half lemon, add sugar, bring to boil again, stir in the double cream and boil until a satisfied consistency is reached.  Sprinkle on some chopped tarragon and pour in a gravy jug, serve the chicken with the tarragon cream sauce.                                                  

美味的烤雞和檸檬龍蒿葉汁就這麼容易做好了。伴著烤馬玲薯和蔬菜，一頓簡易豐富的烤雞午餐，隨時隨地都可以為家人泡製得到。

A delicious roast chicken with lemon & tarragon sauce, is so easily cooked.  Served with roast potatoes and vegetables; such a simple yet scrumptious meal, you can cook it for your family any day of the week.