Recipes / Cooking for the TroopsOne-pot RecipesCasseroleChicken & PoultryGluten Free / “Chicken & Broccoli in Mayonnaise Cream Sauce”

Casserole, Chicken & Poultry, Cooking for the Troops, Gluten Free, One-pot Recipes, Recipe

Difficulty: Easy

“Chicken & Broccoli in Mayonnaise Cream Sauce”

The title of this recipe really doesn't do it justice, or even begin to touch on all the amazing flavours going on here. But, it's the original title from chef Claire Macdonald, from whom the recipe derives, so we'll stick with it. I discovered this fantastic dish when my friend Molly cooked it for a lunch party. It was a resounding success! Absolutely delicious. Molly made the recipe gluten-free to accommodate my husband's allergies and I've used her version here. I should also caveat that this recipe is not simple or speedy, or for when you are time-poor as this site is all about.. of course Molly made it look like a walk in the park, but my husband (the most efficient cook on the planet!) took two hours to put this together (including cooking time). (I use him as a reference as I could easily take two hours making a sandwich, I'm so easily distracted). But, this is so, so worth the effort. And, it can be made in bulk to feed big groups or for multiple meals. Trust me, it's really worth it...

Ingredients

Method

Ingredients

  • SERVES 6
  • 12 Skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
  • 1 Onion, peeled and quartered
  • 1 Carrot, Peeled and cut into chunks
  • Bouquet Garni (I use 5 thyme sprigs and 2 bay leaves)
  • 900 g Frozen Broccoli
  • Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • Butter for greasing
  • 50 g Butter
  • 50 g Corn Flour
  • Heaped tablespoon Curry Powder
  • 200 g Tin of Evaporated Milk
  • 4 tablespoon Mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoon Lemon Juice
  • 50 g Grated Cheddar Cheese
  • 2 small packets of potato crisps

Method

one. Preheat the oven to 180ºc

two. Put the chicken thighs into a large saucepan and cover with water. Add the onion, carrot, bouquet garni, salt and peppercorns. Bring to the boil, cover with a liquid and simmer gently for 1 hour until the juices run clear when the point of a knife is stuck into the thigh. Leave to cool in the stock.

three. Steam the broccoli for five mins in a steamer.

four. Put the broccoli into the dish. Using tongues, remove the chicken pieces from the stock and add them to the broccoli.

five. Now for the roux.. (my husband was especially proud of his efforts here). Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour and curry powder. Cook on a gentle heat for 1-2 mins, then gradually stir in 600ml of the stock in which the chicken cooked. Stir until the sauce boils. Remove from the heat, and add the evaporated milk, mayonnaise, lemon juice and the grated cheese, stirring until the cheese has melted. Check the seasoning and add some salt and pepper if needed. Pour the sauce over the chicken dish and sprinkle crisps over the surface.

six. Bake in the oven for 30mins, until the sauce is just bubbling.

Serving Suggestion. This is an all-in-one recipe and needs nothing further, but you might want to serve with a salad.

Possible Amendment.