Meat mains
Chicken, mushroom and cider casserole with leek and mustard mash
This is an easy, versatile chicken recipe: you could swap in other root veg for some or all or the potatoes – celeriac, parsnip and carrot are all good; or use a mixture of chicken thighs and drumsticks instead of whole legs. Serve with seasonal greens.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil for frying, e.g. vegetable or sunflower
- 2 chicken legs, skin on
- 2 rashers unsmoked streaky bacon, cut into small pieces
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 garlic clove, crushed or finely chopped
- 250ml dry cider
- 200ml chicken or veg stock
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 100g mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- 500g potatoes, peeled and diced
- large knob of butter, plus a little extra for cooking the leeks
- splash of milk or cream
- 1 leek, cut in half lengthways then finely sliced, washed to remove any grit, then drained
- 1 heaped tsp wholegrain mustard
- salt and pepper
Method
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Step 1
Preheat oven to 180°C/Gas 4. In a flame and ovenproof casserole, heat the frying oil. Add the chicken legs and brown on both sides. Remove from the pan to a plate and leave to one side. Add the bacon to the same pan, and cook for a couple of minutes to brown.
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Step 2
Reduce the heat, add the onion and carrots and fry gently for about 5 minutes to soften. Add the garlic and fry for another 2 minutes, then add the cider, stock, thyme and bay leaf and season. Increase the heat and bring to the boil. Cover and transfer to the oven for 40 minutes.
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Step 3
Remove from the oven, add the mushrooms and continue to cook (still with the lid on) for another 15-20 minutes.
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Step 4
Once cooked, use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken and veg to your serving plates. Remove and discard the thyme and bay leaf. Boil the sauce to reduce a little if necessary before pouring over the chicken.
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Step 5
To make the mash, once youíve added the mushrooms to the casserole, cook the potatoes until soft in a pan of salted, boiling water - about 10 minutes or so. Drain and put them back in the pan. Add a large knob of butter, a splash of milk or cream and salt and pepper. Mash (if you have a potato ricer, use that for the smoothest mash).
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Step 6
While the potatoes are cooking, heat a small knob of butter in a pan. Add the leeks and cook very gently for 10-12 minutes, until they have softened. Stir in the mustard, add the leeks to the mash and stir to combine. Check the seasoning and serve with the casserole.
