members recipes

Chicken casserole (just like my mum used to make)

Ingredients
For the casserole:



1 whole organic chicken, jointed on the bone, into breasts, legs & wings

2 tbsp olive oil

2 medium onions, finely chopped

2 medium carrots, finely chopped

250g pancetta, coarsely chopped

10 button mushrooms (stems removed), sliced in two

350 ml of dry white wine

2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes

2 tbsp of tomato paste

500ml of organic chicken stock

1 tsp of dried oregano

1 tsp of fresh parsley, chopped

Salt & black pepper



For the risotto:



300g of Arborio rice

1 litre of organic chicken stock

1 finely chopped onion and fried in butter until soft and golden

2 large cloves of garlic, crushed

350 ml of dry white wine

100g of freshly grated parmesan cheese

Salt & black pepper

70g butter

Method
For the casserole:

Fry the onions and carrots gently in the oil in a large pan until soft and golden. Add the pancetta and mushrooms and cook for a further 3 minutes, stirring from time to time.

Add the chicken joints and continue cooking, turning the chicken now and again, until they brown slightly.

Add the dry white wine, tomatoes, tomato paste. Stir and cook for another 2 minutes before adding the chicken, stock and oregano. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pan and simmer for about 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.

Remove the pan from the heat and take out the chicken pieces. Remove the chicken from the bones and discard the bones and skin and keep the chicken meat to one side. Simmer the sauce uncovered until it reduces to the desired consistency. Adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper and oregano as required.

Add the chicken meat back to the sauce and stir. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to stand whilst you make the risotto.

Before serving with the risotto, gently re-heat the casserole and, finally, add the chopped parsley to the pan.

For the risotto:

Fry the onions and garlic in the butter in a saucepan until soft and golden. Add the rice and white wine. Fry gently for 2 minutes then add enough of the chicken stock to cover the rice. Stir gently.

Simmer until the liquid is absorbed and then add more stock, sufficient to cover the rice once more. Continue replenishing the pan with stock until all the stock has been absorbed by the rice. Add salt & pepper to taste.

When the rice is cooked, add the parmesan cheese and stir into the rice. Serve with the casserole.