A Winter Warmer

Chicken and Mushrooms in Cider

Can be made the night before and kept refrigerated. Reheat gently for 15 minutes. Serve with rice or potatoes.

Ingredients

1.5 kg chicken joints

250g smoked bacon lardons (little cubes)

2 bay leaves

1 small bunch fresh thyme

250ml dry cider

1 kg shallots, peeled

250g open cup mushrooms. sliced

4 cloves garlic. peeled

olive oil for frying

250ml chicken stock

25g butter

25g plain flour

Salt and freshly milled pepper

2 Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled and diced

Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan and brown the chicken joints, two or three at a time, on both sides until they are golden brown.

Place the chicken in a large heavy pot. Brown the bacon lardons in the frying pan and add them to the chicken. Finally brown the shallots and diced apple, add them to the chicken and bacon.

Bash the garlic cloves and tuck them into the chicken portions. Pop in the thyme and bay leaves. Season with pepper and just a little salt (the bacon may be salty).

Pour in the cider and stock, bring to the boil and simmer gently, covered with a lid, for 45 minutes until the chicken is tender. Add the mushrooms for the last 15 minutes of cooking time and stir them in to the chicken.

Remove the chicken, shallots, bacon and mushrooms with a slotted spoon and keep them warm.

Mix the butter and flour to a paste and add, a little knob at a time to the simmering liquid, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens.

Serve the chicken with the sauce poured over.