This is my version of this classic dish. I’ve kept fat content as low as possible while still using indulgently rich extra thick double cream (but not much of it!). You can choose to retain the chicken skins, of course, but this will make a much more calorific dish. Cooked as per my recipe, despite the luxuriously rich and creamy taste & texture, one portion (excluding accompaniments such as creamed/mashed potatoes) comes in at just under 500kcals!
- 8 chicken thighs (skinned, with bone); 2 per person
- 120g shitake mushrooms, sliced into thick slices
- 3-4 large carrots (450-500g), sliced on diagonal in big chunks
- 2-3 stalks celery (approx. 150g), sliced on diagonal in big chunks
- 2 onions, roughly chopped
- 4 tsp olive oil
- salt (to taste)
- garlic powder or dried chopped garlic (1.5tsp if powder, 2tsp if chopped)
- 6 tbsp plain flour
- 4tbsp (60ml) extra thick double cream
- 150ml white wine
- 1l chicken stock (I like to make this with 1l water and 2 Knorr Chicken Stockpots, but you can use any good commercial or home-made chicken stock, of course)
Method
- Prepare the vegetables as described in the ingredients list and skin the chicken, trimming off any excess fat
- Set your slow cooker to ‘Auto’ (or heat your oven to a low temperature, approx. 90ºC)
- Heat 2tsp olive oil in a non-stick frying pan (high heat)
- Press chicken thighs into a bowl containing flour, lightly coating both sides, then carefully place each piece into frying pan
- Season with salt & half the garlic, turn over, season with salt & other half of garlic, thus ensuring both sides are seasoned & browned
- Place chicken into slow cooker
- Return pan to the heat, add remaining 2tsp of olive oil
- Whilst keeping the heat high, add onions
- Once onions start to brown (after about 30-60secs), add mushrooms
- Keep on high heat, stirring continuously for 1-2 mins
- Pour on the white wine (this should instantly start bubbling/boiling), stir, then pour onto chicken in the slow cooker
- Add carrots & celery to the slow cooker
- Pour on chicken stock (
- Stir, cover & cook for approx. 5-5.5 hours
If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can cook this in the oven in a covered casserole dish, on a low temperature (approx. 80-100ºC) for a similar amount of time, or on the hob in a covered sauté pan or stockpot, on a low heat for approx 45 mins.
Once cooked, remove chicken and vegetables from the stock in the slow cooker and keep warm
Take some of the stock, all of the celery and 2-3 pieces of carrot, place in a blender & ‘blitz’ (remember to take extreme care when blending hot liquids…ensure steam has a means to escape, e.g. by leaving the centre section of the blender lid off, and covering it with a folded teatowel)
Place the blended stock & vegetables into a sauté pan or saucepan, stir in the double cream, then stir in the remainder of the stock and heat on a high heat until starts to simmer (not boil!), stirring continuously
Turn heat down and simmer for a few minutes, until the sauce has thickened and reduced in volume to about 2/3rds of the original amount
Plate up the chicken pieces and vegetables along with a good dollop of rich creamed or mashed potatoes, then pour on a generous amount of sauce and serve immediately.
Gloriously Good!
