INGREDIENTS FOR CHICKEN CASSEROLE RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan over a medium to high heat and fry the chicken, skin side down, until it becomes crispy. It will take about 5 minutes to get a lovely golden colour. You may need to cook the chicken in batches if you have a small pan. Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken pieces and set aside.
  2. Pour away any excess fat and then, in the same pan, cook the bacon lardons and onions for about 5 minutes until they have taken on some colour.
  3. Add the sweet potato and mushrooms and then return the chicken pieces to the pan, placing them on top, skin side up.
  4. Pour over the stock until it just reaches the chicken skin, add the thyme and cover with a lid.
  5. Leave to simmer very gently for about 10–15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. The cooking time will depend on the size of the chicken pieces so do check by removing a piece of chicken and cutting into it with a sharp knife.
  6. If you end up having more sauce than you’d like in the pan, simply strain into a clean saucepan, bring to the boil and reduce down and thicken by boiling it.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºC/gas 5.
  2. Trim, wash and slice the leeks 1cm thick, scrub and cut the carrots into rough chunks and finely slice the celery. Peel and finely slice the garlic, pick the thyme leaves, discarding the stalks, and finely slice the bacon.
  3. Heat a lug of oil in a large casserole pan on a medium heat, then add the bacon. Scatter in the thyme leaves and fry for a few minutes, or until the bacon is golden.
  4. Next, add the leeks, carrots, celery and garlic and cook for around 10 minutes, or until the leeks start to soften, stirring regularly. Meanwhile, peel and roughly chop the celeriac and parsnips, then roughly chop the potatoes.
  5. Add the chicken, celeriac, parsnips and potatoes to the pan. Stir in the Marmite, add a good grinding of black pepper and stir to coat.
  6. Pour in the hot stock, bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to low. Crumple up and wet a piece of greaseproof paper, then open it out and place on top of the stew. Cover with a lid and pop in the oven for 1 hour, or until the chicken is super-tender.
  7. When the time’s up, gently break the chicken up into the stew, then serve up in bowls. I like to serve this with broccoli on the side. Sometimes I top it with puff pastry or I stir it through pasta for a really tasty sauce.