Crispy Chicken with creamy mushrooms and braised leeks

Chicken has many plus points - its versatility, as well as the ease and speed with which it can be cooked - make it one of the most popular meats around. It has a high level of good quality protein, as well as B vitamins, iron, copper and selenium. 

This blog has many chicken recipe suggestions, and below you can see another one! Well you can't have too many can you! It's rich, creamy, full of mushrooms and tastes great, it's also a dish that is good for freezing. 

Ingredients

Serves Four

2 tbsp. olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
250g closed cup mushrooms, thinly sliced
8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
400ml chicken stock, made using ½ a stock cube
100ml half-fat crème fraîche
2 heaped tsp Dijon mustard
1½ tsp cornflour
1 tbsp. roughly chopped parsley, to serve
For the braised leeks
2 leeks, rinsed, outer layer discarded, quartered lengthways with root left intact
Method

1. Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the onions. Cook for 15-20 mins until softened and lightly golden. Transfer to a roasting tin and set aside.
2. Add the mushrooms to the pan and turn the heat up to high. Cook for 8-10 mins until soft, then add to the roasting tin.
3. Season the chicken thighs, add to the pan and reduce the heat to medium-high. Cook skin side down for 10 mins or until the skin is golden and crisp. Turn and cook for a further 5 mins. Transfer to the roasting tin and wipe the pan clean with kitchen paper.
4. Pour the chicken stock into the roasting tin and roast for 25 mins or until the chicken is cooked through.
5. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in the frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the leeks, cut side down, and cook for 4 mins or until lightly golden. Using tongs, turn the leeks so the cut sides face up, then pour in 150ml hot water. Cover and simmer for 15-20 mins until tender.
6. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Put the mushrooms, onions and cooking juices in a saucepan, then stir in the crème fraîche, mustard and cornflour. Season to taste. Simmer for 2-3 mins until thickened.

7. Divide the chicken and sauce between plates and serve the leeks alongside. Garnish with the parsley and a twist of black pepper.

Each Serving
Carbohydrate 11.9g Protein 33.2g Fibre 2.2g Fat 40g 

Freezing and defrosting guidelines

To freeze, prepare until the end of step 6, omitting step 5. Cover the chicken in foil, leave to cool, then put in a freezer-proof container on top of the cooled sauce. To reheat, remove from the freezer the day before you want to eat and defrost in the fridge. Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C. Put in a roasting tin, cover with foil and pierce it a few times. Heat for 25 mins while you cook the leeks, then remove the foil and roast for a further 10-15 mins until the chicken is piping hot and the skin is crisp. Once reheated from frozen, eat on the same day – do not reheat a second time. 

From an original idea here 

A variety of recipe ideas/articles are found within this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan