Creamy Chicken Casserole with Parsley Mash Recipe

Ingredients

2 x 575g chicken thighs & drumsticks
1 onion
2 leeks
2 carrots
3 garlic cloves
1 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
500-800ml boiling water
1 bouquet garni
1 chicken stock cube
A large handful of flat leaf parsley
1kg potatoes
45g butter
200g crème fraîche
2 tbsp Dijon mustard

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Method

1. Place a frying pan (or casserole dish if you’re cooking the casserole on the hob) on a high heat for 2 mins. Add 1 tbsp oil and place in half of the chicken thighs and drumsticks. Fry for 10 mins, turning every now and then, till browned on all sides. Lift out into a bowl and repeat with the remaining thighs and drumsticks.

2. While the chicken browns, peel and finely chop the onion. Trim and rinse the leeks, then thinly slice them. Trim, peel and thickly slice the carrots. Peel and grate the garlic cloves. From this point, follow the instructions for the slow cooker or the hob method.

3. Slow cooker: Place the browned chicken in a 3½ ltr slow cooker. Keep the pan on the heat and add the onions and leeks. Season with salt and pepper. Fry, stirring a few times, for 4-5 mins till slightly softened. Add the garlic to the onions and fry for 1 min. Fill your kettle and boil it.

4. Tip the leeks and onion in to the slow cooker with the chicken. Add the carrots and drop in the bouquet garni. Pour in 500ml boiling water and crumble in the stock cube. Gently stir everything together, then pop the lid on the slow cooker.

5. Set the slow cooker to medium and cook for 6-7 hrs. For a faster stew, set the slow cooker to high and cook for 5-6 hrs, or set it on low and cook the casserole for 8-10 hrs.

6. When the chicken has 40 mins left to cook, peel and roughly chop the potatoes so they’re roughly the same size. Place in a large pan and cover with cold water. Add a pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 mins till the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife. Drain and leave to steam dry in the colander for a min or 2. Tip the spuds back into the pan. Add the butter, then pop a lid on the pan to keep potatoes warm.

7. Mix 2 tbsp Dijon mustard in a bowl with the crème fraîche. Spoon in 4 tbsp of the chicken cooking liquor and mix together. Pour the mustardy cream mixture back into the slow cooker and stir to mix. Finely chop the parsley stalks and leaves, keeping them separate.

8. Mash the potatoes with a good pinch of salt and pepper till smooth. Add the chopped parsley stalks and most of the leaves. Serve the chicken with plenty of sauce and buttered parsley mash, garnished with the remaining parsley leaves.

9. On the hob: Place the browned chicken on a plate. Keep the pan you cooked the chicken in on the heat and add the onions and leeks. Season with salt and pepper. Fry, stirring a few times, for 6 mins till slightly softened. Add the garlic to the pan and fry for 1 min. Fill your kettle and boil it.

10. Add the chicken back to the pan along with the carrots and the bouquet garni. Crumble in the stock cube and pour in 800ml hot water from the kettle. Bring to a bubble then simmer for 1 hr, adding more water if you need to.

11. When the chicken has 40 mins left to cook, peel and roughly chop the potatoes so they are roughly the same size. Place in a large pan and cover with cold water. Add a pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 mins till the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife. Drain and leave to steam dry in the colander for a min or two. Tip the spuds back into the pan. Add the butter, then pop a lid on the pan to keep potatoes warm.

12. Mix 2 tbsp Dijon mustard in a bowl with the crème fraîche. Spoon in 4 tbsp of the chicken cooking liquor and mix together. Pour the mustardy cream mixture back into the slow cooker and stir to mix. Finely chop the parsley stalks and leaves, keeping them separate.

13. Mash the potatoes with a good pinch of salt and pepper till smooth. Add the chopped parsley stalks and most of the leaves. Serve the chicken with plenty of sauce and buttered parsley mash, garnished with the remaining parsley leaves.