Weekend Chicken Casserole
A classic chicken casserole is the sort of dish I want to know how to make for my children. Comforting, nourishing and nostalgic it is a recipe that made well feels like an expression of my love through food. This version is one I have made many times; even the most nervous of cooks should feel quietly confident as the ingredients and cooking time do all the hard work.
Nothing is set in stone here so, if you have onions instead of leeks, or sage instead of time, peppers instead of carrots, don’t worry - you can substitute when and where you need to. This dish is forgiving. The only non-comprisable element is a good quality organic chicken: you can use a whole chicken jointed into 8 pieces or 8 chicken thighs, the key thing is the chicken should be the best quality you can get and cut on the bone, to add depth of flavour to the finished dish.
By the end of the cooking time the chicken should just be falling away and the sauce deep and rich. Serve with a scattering of parsley, and rice or mashed potato to mop up all the wonderful juices.
ingredients ~
Recipe serves 6 people
1 organic chicken, jointed into 8 pieces (OR 8 skin-on and bone-in organic chicken thighs)
plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
olive oil, for cooking
1 large leek, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery sticks diced
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
500ml organic chicken stock
1 tin of organic chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato puree
to make ~
Preheat the oven to 180C (fan oven)
Coat the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess flour
Take a large oven proof casserole dish and add a little oil oil, fry the chicken pieces in batches until golden brown on the outside 3-4 minutes a side. Set aside on a plate.
Remove any burnt flour from the pan, add more oil and add leeks, carrots and celery. Sauté for 10 minutes over a medium heat. The vegetables should be softened and starting to caramelise.
Add the garlic cloves, fresh thyme, bay leaves, smoked paprika and store gently for 1-2 minutes
Next add the chicken stock, chopped tomatoes and tomato puree, bring everything up to a medium boil.
Return the chicken pieces to the pan, with any resting juices. Reduce the heat a little and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Cover the pot with a well fitting lid and place in the oven for 50 minutes.
Remove the pot from the oven and carefully remove the lid - the chicken should be soft and falling from the bone, the sauce deep in colour and the vegetables melting away.
Scatter with freshly chopped parsleerve with mashed potato, or rice.