Huntress Chicken

This is yummy. So, so yummy. It's a divine casserole from Mary Jane Patterson, which I've adapted slightly (replacing breasts with thighs since I had them in stock) and flour with cornflour as my husband is gluten intolerant). There are many chicken casseroles out there but this is incredible, surprisingly so. And perfect for entertaining the masses too. Lucky them!

Ingredients

Method

Ingredients

  • SERVES 6
  • 12 Skinless, boneless chicken thighs
  • 350 g Button mushrooms
  • 2 Red Onions, finely chopped
  • 4 tablespoon Olive oil
  • 50 g Butter
  • 200 g Smoked Bacon Lardons
  • 4 tablespoon Cornflour
  • 1 tablespoon Redcurrant jelly
  • 600 ml Red wine
  • 300 ml Beef Stock
  • A bouquet garni (1 bay leaf, 1 spring of thyme/ rosemary)

Method

one. Preheat the oven to 200ºc. Put the chicken thighs in an oven tray and roast 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn it down to 160ºc. (By the way- this is ingenious! So much less messy and smelly than browning on the hob).

two. In a large cast-iron casserole, saute your mushrooms and onions in the oil and half the butter. Once they have softened, remove to a dish. Add the lardons to the casserole and fry until cooked.

three. In another pan, put in the other bit of butter over a low heat and mix in the flour. Cook for one minute and then pour in the wine, stock and redcurrant jelly, mixing to make a gravy. Add the bouquet garni and bring to the boil. Simmer over a low hear for 5 minutes until everything has mixed together.

four. Add your mushrooms and onion to the lardons in the casserole, along with the chicken. Put the lid on and cook in the oven for 30 minutes (or the same amount of time on the hob over a medium to low heat).

Serving Suggestion. Rice and purple sprouting broccoli

Possible Amendment.