Meat: Chicken, Chestnut & Thyme Casserole
How long will it take?
How hard is it?
How many people can do it together?
1 hour
Easy
As many as you like
Autumn
a wildish story
Some suppers are best eaten from a bowl with both hands wrapped around it. This is one of them. Chicken, chestnuts and root vegetables, with plenty of thyme and a broth worth chasing around the bowl with a piece of bread.
What do you need?
Ingredients - Serves 4
1 tbsp olive oil
600g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into large pieces
2 carrots, cut into 2cm chunks
2 parsnips, cut into 2cm chunks
400g potatoes, cut into 2cm chunks
1 tbsp plain flour
650ml chicken stock, made without onion or garlic
1 tsp dried thyme, or the leaves from 5 fresh sprigs
1 bay leaf
180g ready-cooked, peeled chestnuts, any large ones halved
Salt and black pepper
How to do it.
Method
Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan or casserole dish. Season the chicken, then brown it in two batches for 3–4 minutes each. Lift onto a plate; it will finish cooking later.
Add the carrots, parsnips and potatoes to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring and scraping up the browned bits.
Stir in the flour and cook for a minute. Gradually pour in the stock, stirring to avoid lumps.
Return the chicken and its juices to the pan. Add the thyme and bay leaf, bring to a gentle simmer and partly cover.
Cook for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the chestnuts. Simmer for another 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked through. The centre of the largest chicken pieces should reach 75°C for at least 30 seconds.
Remove the bay leaf and season to taste. If the broth is too thin, simmer uncovered for a few minutes; if too thick, add a splash of water.
Wildish tip: Ready-cooked chestnuts make this much easier. Add them near the end so they warm through without disappearing into the sauce.
