Serve this with Police Dog Hogan Inspired Magnificent Mustard Morsels, and substitute the oregano for fresh, chopped tarragon (or dried if you can’t get it). Or alternatively serve with pasta – noodles go well.
Also serve a green salad – for example, Soft and Crunchy Tatsoi Salad.
Recipe for Chicken with Mushrooms and Tarragon
For four
- 4 chicken breasts – about 150 – 200g/5-7 oz each
- 300g/11 oz mushrooms
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- Olive oil for frying
- Walnut or two of butter
- 2 tbsps plain flour
- 180ml/¾ cup chicken stock – made with that amount of boiling water plus a chicken stock cube or a heaped teaspoon of stock powder
- 160 ml/⅔ cup milk
- 80 ml/⅓ cup double cream
- A few sprigs of fresh tarragon, or, if you can’t find it, use dried. If you buy a packet you can use the rest of the tarragon in the Magnificent Mustard Morsels or in the pasta you serve with the chicken.
- Smoked salt and Indonesian long pepper
- Preheat the oven to 180°C
- Brown the chicken breasts in the olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan, and then transfer them to an ovenproof casserole which has a lid
- Meanwhile clean and chop the mushrooms
- Fry the onion in the saucepan and when it’s soft add the mushrooms and butter
- Meanwhile, while you’re waiting for the onion to soften, put the cream into a small bowl and chop the leaves of three or four sprigs of tarragon. Add most to the cream to infuse, retaining a couple of tarragon springs for garnishing at the end. Season.
- Once the onions are soft, sift the flour into them, stir in well and continue to cook for a minute or two longer
- Slowly stir in the stock, ensuring no lumps are allowed to form. Do the same with the milk.
- Bring the sauce to the boil, pour over the chicken, cover, and put the whole thing in the oven for 40 minutes.
- Take out of the oven, add the tarragon-infused cream and cook gently for another quarter of an hour before serving.
- Serve, sprinkling over the remaining chopped tarragon.