INGREDIENTS
Chicken:
- 5 chicken breasts - (1kg/2.25 lb) chopped into big chunks or strips
- 45 g (6 tbsp) plain (all-purpose) flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Sauce:
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 small-to-medium onions - peeled and finely diced
- 5 cloves garlic - peeled and minced
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp celery salt - optional
- 25 g (3 tbsp) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1 litre (4 ¼ cups) chicken stock
- 300 ml (1 ¼ cups) milk - whole milk or half-fat
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice - juice of approx. 1 lemon
- 20 chestnut mushrooms - thickly sliced
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 240 ml (1 cup) double (heavy) cream
- 2 tbsp cornflour - mixed with 5 tbsp cold water – to make a slurry, (cornstarch in USA) **Optional**
- small bunch parsley - chopped
Serve with:
- mashed potatoes
- sprouts
- peas
- sweetcorn
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the chicken in a bowl with the flour, salt, and pepper. Toss to cover the chicken in the flour and seasoning.5 chicken breasts,45 g (6 tbsp) plain (all-purpose) flour,½ tsp salt,½ tsp black pepper
- Heat the oil over a high heat in a large frying pan (skillet) and working in 2 batches, add the chicken. Brown all over (it doesn't need to be cooked through at this point). Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and put to one side.2 tbsp oil
- Place the butter in the same frying pan and melt over a low-medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, thyme, and celery salt and cook for 5 minutes until the onion softens. Sprinkle on the flour and stir for a minute (it will be lumpy).2 tbsp unsalted butter,3 small-to-medium onions,5 cloves garlic,1 tsp dried thyme,½ tsp celery salt,25 g (3 tbsp) plain (all-purpose) flour
- Pour in a splash of the stock and stir, using a whisk until combined. Continue to add in stock, a little at a time, whilst stirring, until all the stock is added and you have a smooth sauce with no lumps (the onions will still be in there though - so it will look a little lumpy because of that).1 litre (4 ¼ cups) chicken stock
- Add the milk and continue to stir over the heat until the sauce thickens, then add in the lemon juice.300 ml (1 ¼ cups) milk,2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Add the mushrooms, the cooked chicken and the salt and pepper. Place a lid on the pan and simmer gently on the hob for 20 minutes.20 chestnut mushrooms,½ tsp salt,½ tsp pepper
- **Alternatively you can transfer to a casserole dish at this point. Cover with foil and place in the oven at 175C/350F (fan) for 30 minutes**
- Remove the lid and stir in the cream, then heat through for a further 5 minutes (place back in the oven if oven cooking).240 ml (1 cup) double (heavy) cream
- If you'd like the sauce to be any thicker, then at this point you can stir in the cornflour slurry. Add a little splash at a time, whilst stirring, until you get the thickness you want.2 tbsp cornflour
- Serve the casserole with vegetables (I like to serve mine with mashed potatoes, sprouts, peas and sweetcorn) and a sprinkling of parsley.
