Chicken and mushroom casserole with cider
Somewhere between a stew and a braise, this rich and warming dish is perfect to serve in autumn, perhaps with mushrooms you've gathered yourself. If you're feeling wild and gamey, you could do this with a whole, jointed wild rabbit instead of the chicken.
Prep 20mins Servs 4
Method
Dust the chicken pieces with the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Brown the chicken pieces well in the hot frying pan (in two batches if necessary, adding a little more oil for the second batch). Transfer the chicken to a large casserole dish or pan.
Add 250ml cider to the frying pan to deglaze, letting it bubble for a minute or two as you scrape up the bits from the bottom. Pour over the chicken and top up with more cider as necessary, so the liquor comes about halfway up the chicken.
Heat the butter in another pan, add the mushrooms and sweat gently until their juices run. Add them with their juices to the chicken. Tuck the bay leaf and the thyme among the chicken and bring to a simmer. Cook uncovered, or partially covered, very gently over a low heat (or with the lid on in the oven preheated to 140°C/Gas Mark 1)for about 1½ hours, until the chicken is cooked through and tender, turning the pieces halfway through cooking.
Remove the bay leaf and thyme. Pour the juices off into a pan, leaving the chicken and mushrooms in the casserole. Whisk the cream and mustard into the juices and bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then pour back over the chicken. Bring the whole lot back to a simmer, and it's ready to serve.
Serving suggestions
Top with a sprinkling of chopped parsley and serve with creamy mash or plain boiled potatoes and some steamed greens.
Ingredients
- 8 skin-on, bone-in chicken pieces (about 1.5kg in total)
- 2-3 tablespoons plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
- 3-4 tablespoons rapeseed or olive oil
- 250-400ml dry or medium cider
- A knob of butter
- 350-400g mushrooms (any kind you like, really), cut into large chunks or slices
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 large sprig of thyme
- 5 tablespoons double cream
- 2 teaspoons English mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
This recipe is taken from...
If you like this recipe, you might like the following course...
River Cottage in a Day
A delicious introduction to cooking the River Cottage way, covering fish, meat, vegetables, bread and dessert.
Full details