Chicken and Mushroom Casserole with Cider

Chef

Cookbook

River Cottage Every Day

Published by Ten Speed Press

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This image courtesy of Joseph DeLeo

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 cut-up wild rabbit instead of the chicken.

Serves4

Cooking Methodbraising

CostModerate

Total Timeunder 2 hours

OccasionCasual Dinner Party, Family Get-together

Recipe Coursemain course

Dietary Considerationegg-free, peanut free, soy free, tree nut free

Mealdinner

Taste and Texturecreamy, herby, meaty, tangy

Ingredients

1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces, or 8 skin-on, bone-in chicken pieces (about 3 pounds total)
2 to 3 tablespoons all purpose flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
3 to 4 tablespoons canola or olive oil
1 to 1½ cups dry or medium cider
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
12 ounces mushrooms (any kind you like, really), cut into large chunks or slices
1 bay leaf
1 large sprig of thyme
5 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons English mustard
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

Dust the chicken pieces with the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan over 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 pot.
Add 1 cup 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 liquid comes about halfway up the chicken.
Heat the butter in another pan, add the mushrooms, and cook 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 300°F) 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.
Top with a sprinkling of chopped parsley and serve with creamy mashed or plain boiled potatoes and some steamed greens.