Chicken Casserole Recipe
Prepare a truly delectable chicken casserole by incorporating fragrant herbs and seasonings. Celebrated chef Mary Berry has shared her signature seasoning approach for this comforting dish, notably featuring thyme and bay leaves. Furthermore, in a hallmark of professional culinary practice, Berry advocates for initiating the recipe by marinating the chicken in a rich wine mixture.
For optimal results and to achieve the finest taste, it is recommended to adhere to Mary’s recipe meticulously and ensure all components are readily available, including mashed potatoes and green vegetables for serving alongside. Ready in approximately one hour, excluding the chicken marinating duration, this straightforward dish is ideal for repeated preparation.
Key Features
- Serves: six servings
- Preparation Time: under 30 minutes
- Cooking Time: 30 minutes to one hour
Ingredients
- 400g baby shallots, peeled
- Three garlic cloves, crushed
- One small bunch of fresh thyme
- Four bay leaves
- 600ml red wine
- Six small skinless and boneless chicken breasts
- Two tbsp olive oil
- 75g butter
- Three tbsp plain flour
- 350g smoked streaky bacon, chopped
- One tbsp tomato purée
- One tbsp light muscovado sugar
- 400g button mushrooms, halved
- Salt and black pepper
Cooking Method
Marinating the Chicken
In a sizable bowl, combine the peeled shallots, crushed garlic, fresh thyme, bay leaves, and red wine. Introduce the chicken, season generously with salt and black pepper, and allow to marinate for one hour.
Cooking the Casserole
Preheat oven to 160C (140C fan/gas mark 3). Position a colander over a large saucepan and strain the marinated chicken and wine mixture, reserving the shallots, bay leaves, and thyme.
In a casserole dish, heat olive oil and 50g of butter over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for approximately five to ten minutes on each side until browned. Remove the chicken using a slotted spoon and set aside.
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Bring the saucepan containing the wine marinade to a high heat and boil for fifteen to twenty minutes, or until the liquid volume has reduced.
In a separate bowl, blend the plain flour with 150ml of water, whisking until smooth. Incorporate a small amount of the hot wine marinade into the flour mixture, then transfer the entire mixture into the saucepan with the remaining wine marinade. Maintain warmth.
Introduce the chopped bacon to the casserole dish and cook over high heat for around ten minutes. Subsequently, add the reserved shallots and continue cooking for a further ten minutes.
Pour the hot wine marinade into the casserole dish, followed by the tomato purée, light muscovado sugar, reserved bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, stir thoroughly, then cover the dish and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.
During the final ten minutes of cooking, melt the remaining butter in a separate saucepan and sauté the halved button mushrooms. Add the cooked mushrooms to the chicken casserole before serving, and remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
Serve the chicken casserole accompanied by mashed potatoes and shredded greens.