Mary Berry, the , is also a master of hearty winter dishes.
Her chicken and herb casserole is a prime example of her ability to elevate comfort with a touch of elegance. This dish is perfect for both beginner cooks and seasoned chefs, thanks to its simple yet flavourful recipe.
The sauce, thickened with flour and enriched with stock and wine, is the star of this dish. It can be prepared a day in advance, just remember to add the crème fraîche and mushrooms when reheating.
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Ingredients250 grams dry cured bacon, snipped into small pieces
Two large onions, chopped
Eight Skinless chicken thighs, bone-in
Two tbsp sunflower oil
30 grams (1¼ oz) plain flour
150 ml (¼ pint) hot chicken stock
150 ml (¼ pint) dry white wine
Two large sprigs of thyme
Small bunch of sage, six leaves removed for garnish
Two bay leaves
200 grams (7oz) small chestnut mushrooms quartered
100 grams full-fat crème fraîche
One knob of butter
Small bunch of parsley, chopped.
Preheat the oven to 160C / 140C fan/ Gas 3. In the meantime, cook the bacon in a large non-stick pan to release the fat, then add onions and fry until the bacon edges turn brown. Remove both to a plate with a slotted spoon, reports .
Season the chicken lightly, brown it in the same oil-filled pan on high heat, flipping once, and add it to the plate with bacon and onions.
Sprinkle flour in the pan, adding oil if necessary, to make a paste. Slowly add the hot stock, whisking until thickened. Mix in the wine, then reintroduce the bacon, onions and chicken, along with thyme, sage and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper, cover and bake for 30 minutes.
After removing the dish from the oven, stir in the mushrooms and crème fraîche, then bake another 15-20 minutes to soften the chicken. Simultaneously, fry whole sage leaves in butter until crisp.
Discard the bay leaves, thyme and sage sprigs from the casserole, stir in parsley, and top with crisp sage leaves to serve.
