Chicken Chasseur

A French-inspired hearty chicken stew with chicken, carrots and mushrooms in a delicately herbed tomato and white wine sauce.

Ingredients

2 tbsp oil
170 g (6 oz) smoked bacon lardons
8 skinless chicken thigh fillets (approx. 1kg/2.2lb) , chopped into quarters
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 medium onion peeled and finely diced
3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
2 tbsp tomato puree (paste in USA)
2 tbsp plain all-purpose flour
180 ml (3/4 cup) white wine
360 ml (1 ½ cups) chicken stock
150 g (5.3oz) baby chestnut mushrooms, sliced in half
2 medium carrots peeled and diced
2 bay leaves
3 stalks fresh thyme replace with 1 tsp dried thyme if preferred, but make sure it’s a dried thyme that you like – some brands can be very floral tasting

To Serve:
Creamy mashed potato
Freshly chopped parsley

Instructions

✅Preheat the oven to 180C/350F (fan).
✅Heat the oil a large casserole pan over a medium heat.
✅Add the bacon and fry for 6-8 minutes, stirring often, until golden.
✅Remove from the pan, using a slotted spoon (leaving the oil behind) and place in a bowl.
✅Add the chicken to the pan and sprinkle on the salt and pepper. Turn up the heat to medium-high, and fry the chicken for 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until lightly browned (it doesn’t have to be cooked through at this point).
✅Turn the heat back down to medium and add the onion. Fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until the onion starts to soften.
✅Add the garlic and fry from a further minute, stirring constantly.
✅Add the tomato puree and flour and stir together for a minute, to coat the chicken, then slowly pour in the wine while stirring constantly.
✅Let the liquid bubble for a minute, until slightly reduced.
✅Stir in the stock, then add the mushroom, carrots, bay leaves and thyme.
✅Stir together and bring to a gentle simmer. Then turn the heat off, place a lid or some foil on the dish and place in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the lid for the last 15 minutes – this helps to brown the chicken a little more.
✅Give everything a stir, then sprinkle the cooked bacon lardons on top and place back in the oven for one more minute, to warm the bacon through.
✅Serve over creamy mashed potato with a sprinkling of fresh parsley.