This evening for dinner I decided to make Nigella's Spring Chicken from her cookbook Kitchen. Although this is titled "spring" chicken, it is perfect for this time of the year, a warming casserole is just what you crave at the end of a cold winters day. This casserole has an amazing depth of flavour and would work equally well served with new potatoes, rice, barley or other grains. Alternatively it could be served with a baquette or other crusty bread to mop up the juices. We thoroughly enjoyed this comforting dish and I plan to make it again soon.
Spring ChickenServes 4-6
Ingredients
1 tsp olive oil
140g pancetta cubes
12 chicken thighs (bone in with or without skin)
1 leek, cleaned, quartered lengthwise then finely sliced
1 stick celery, quartered lengthwise then finely sliced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 tsp freeze-dried tarragon
1 tsp sea salt flakes or 1/2 tsp pouring salt
good grinding white pepper
1 x 500ml bottle dry cider
300g frozen petit pois
1 x 15ml tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Little Gem lettuces, suct into strips or roughly shredded
2 x 15ml tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
Heat the oil in a large, wide casserole that comes with a lid and add the pancetta cubes, cooking them until they begin to give off their juices and start to colour.
Add the chicken thighs (skin-side down if yours have skin), tossing the pancetta cubes on top of the meat (to stop the pancetta burning and to make space) as you put the poultry in the pan, and cook for about 5 minutes over a medium heat.
Turn the thighs over and tip in the prepared leek, celery and garlic. Season with the dried tarragon, salt and pepper, then stir everything around a bit, letting it cook for another 5 minutes.
Pour in the cider, then sprinkle in the frozen peas. Bring the pan to the boil then cover, turn down to a very gentle heat and cook for 40 minutes. Do check after 30, though, to see if the chicken is cooked through, and if you are using boneless thighs, then 20 minutes should do it.
Remove the lid, stir in the mustard, and then toss the shredded lettuce over the chicken, letting it wilt in the hot sauce for a couple of minutes.
Scatter the chopped tarragon over the casserole. Serve with new potatoes or rice.
11 comments:
Beautiful delicious looking chicken dish.
You're a girl after my own heart Maria - I am in the mood for food just like this right now. This looks delicious - I shall bookmark this recipe to do soon :) Lucie xx
Chicken is so versatile - I have it every week and it never disappoints. Your dish looks lovely.
Love this look delicious!
Wow this looks scrummy. Would it work just as well with Chicken breast? I plan on cooking chicken Thursday evening and I am going to give your recipe a try. Thanks so much. Tracey
Tracey, I don't see why you couldn't use chicken breast. I actually prefer breast and will try it next time. Let me know how it turns out.
Maria
x
I'm getting hungry looking at these pictures, the meal looks filling and delicious. I will have to put this on my "to cook" list in Feb.
Yours looks lovely. x
This is just my kind of meal,looks delicious!
I am really pleased to say that I made your Spring Chicken in Wintertime dish this week. I used chicken breast instead of thighs and added a few mushrooms (We love mushrooms). Unfortunately I couldnt add the garlic because mother in law came for tea but we all loved it. If you would like to see a picture of this, its on my blog at derbyshireducks.blogspot.com.
Tracey x
Nice to know someone else loves this. It's one of our most popular "table d'hote" main courses! I always make it with the whole chicken leg+thigh and cook it for longer than the recipe says until the meat just falls off the bone.
If you're working your way through "Kitchen", I can heartily recommend the "Carbonnade a la flamande". I've made it a couple of times already this year. It's massively easier to make than a proper boeuf bourgignon, and all the people who've eaten it tell me it's delicious (I'm vegetarian, so not in a position to give you a personal opinion!!)
Post a Comment