Name: Fricassée of chicken and mushrooms
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1.5 kilogram free-range whole chicken, cut into 10 pieces: legs, thighs, breasts (cut in half) and wings; 90 gram unsalted butter; sea salt; 300 millilitre sherry; 250 millilitre chicken stock; 2 thyme sprigs; 1 bay leaf; 300 gram mixed mushrooms (swiss browns, oysters and buttons), cut into quarters; 300 millilitre cream; 200 gram green beans; 150 gram snow peas, trimmed

Fricassée of chicken and mushrooms

This dish is old-fashioned French comfort food at its best. The chicken is braised with wine and vegetables and finished with cream for richness. The fricassée has many variations depending on the region but the great thing about this dish is that it’s a one-pot wonder and ready in under an hour.

Serves 4

Cook

45M

Ingredients

1.5 kilogram free-range whole chicken, cut into 10 pieces: legs, thighs, breasts (cut in half) and wings

90 gram unsalted butter

sea salt

300 millilitre sherry

250 millilitre chicken stock

2 thyme sprigs

1 bay leaf

300 gram mixed mushrooms (swiss browns, oysters and buttons), cut into quarters

300 millilitre cream

200 gram green beans

150 gram snow peas, trimmed

Method

1.Place a large cast-iron casserole pot, large enough to hold all the chicken pieces, on a high heat. Add 50g of the butter and bring to a sizzle.

2.Season chicken pieces on both sides with sea salt and cracked black pepper and place in the casserole. Fry the chicken on a medium-high heat for 6 minutes or so on each side or until nicely golden in colour.

3.De-glaze casserole with sherry, bring to the boil and add the stock, thyme and bayleaf. Lower the heat and cook until the liquid is reduced by half; skim off any fat that forms on the top while the liquid is reducing.

4.Add the mushrooms and cream and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the sauce is thick and creamy.

5.While the sauce is reducing, bring a pot of salted water to the boil and toss in the beans. Leave for 30 seconds then add the snow peas. Blanch for a further 10 seconds then drain and refresh beans and snow peas in iced water.

6.To serve, drain beans and snow peas then thinly slice on an angle. Place a heavy-based frying pan on a high heat, add the remaining butter and, when it starts to sizzle, toss in cut beans and snow peas along with a pinch of sea salt and some cracked black pepper.

7.Scoop some of the chicken and mushrooms onto a serving plate, drizzle a little sauce over the chicken and scatter some beans and snow peas on top.

Luca Villari