WINTER love
CREAMY CHICKEN, LEEK AND MUSHROOM CASSEROLE WITH CAPE TAWNY
“This kind of soft-and-saucy food is the stuff my midweek dinner dreams are made of.”
Serves 4
EASY
GREAT VALUE
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking: 45 minutes
olive oil 2 T
free-range bone-in chicken thighs 8
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
onion 1, chopped
medium leeks 4, white parts only, sliced
portabellini mushrooms (or brown mushrooms) 250 g, sliced
thyme 3 sprigs, woody stalks discarded
small lemon ½, zested
Cape Tawny (or medium-cream sherry) 1/3 cup
chicken stock 1 cup
cream 1 cup
fresh Italian parsley a handful, chopped, for serving
Heat the oil in a large, wide, heavy-based casserole over a medium-high heat and fry the chicken on both sides until lightly browned, seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside, then add the onion, leeks, mushrooms, thyme and lemon zest. Fry, stirring, until softened and lightly brown. Add the Cape Tawny and loosen any sticky bits on the bottom, then add the stock Bring to a simmer over a low heat, then cover with a lid and cook for 45 minutes, checking every 10–15 minutes to see if the bottom isn’t burning. When the chicken is very soft and almost falling from the bone, remove from the heat, scatter with parsley, and serve hot (with rice, mash or crusty bread to mop up the sauce).
