This is one of my favourite dinners. It isn't too heavy but it's rich and super comforting.
This is a meal that has been passed down through my family. My grandfather was a chef and he taught his recipe to my mum who then passed it down to me.
Each of us have made changes to this meal over the years so the way I make it has changed from the way my mum made it and the way she makes it isn't the same way my grandfather made it! My mum always used to use bouquet garni and bay leaves to flavour the dish but I have replaced this with tarragon as I think the slightly aniseed taste of tarragon blends so well with all the other flavours. Just don't be too heavy with the tarragon, it can be overpowering if too much is used.
It's also very versatile and many ingredients can be substituted and changed to suit your tastes and what you have in your fridge. It's also a great way to get children to eat vegetables, this was always one of mine and my brother's favourite dinners since we were little.
You can also remove the chicken entirely and replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock to make it vegetarian and there are some amazing cream substitutes out there to replace the double cream to make it vegan.
This is also quite quick to make with it taking about 30 minutes to make from start to finish.
If you want to speed it up even more, I have used ready cooked rotisserie chicken before to speed up the cooking time!
Give this a try and let me know what you think! Also, tell me how you like it and what changes you have made!
Serves: 2 generously or 2 dinners and an extra lunch portion
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 5 - 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients List:
1 small onion
1 courgette
Half a container/two handfuls of white or button mushrooms
1 green pepper
200ml of Chicken stock ( I use a stock cube to make my stock)
2 Chicken breasts or 4 chicken thighs, diced
A teaspoon of fresh tarragon/half a teaspoon of dried tarragon
100ml of double cream
A tablespoon of cornflour
Salt and pepper
Small amount of oil for frying
Rice of your choosing
Recipe:
1. If you are making your rice fresh rather than a microwavable portion, start the process of cooking your rice. I have a rice cooker where you put equal quantities of rice to water and set to cook and it does all the work for you in 15 minutes. I love my rice cooker, I'd definately suggest getting one if you enjoy a lot of rice!
2. Dice your chicken into bite sized pieces and dice your onion. Put them in a frying pan with some salt and pepper and a small amount of oil or oil spray. Fry over a medium heat until the chicken pieces are entirely white on the outside and the onions are soft then set aside. Don't worry about the chicken being undercooked, it will be cooked again later. If you are using ready cooked chicken, skip this step and add the cooked chicken when you add the stock later in the recipe and fry the onions with the rest of the vegetables.
3. Whilst the chicken and onions are cooking, dice your vegetables into bite sized pieces.
Reusing your chicken pan, Add some additional oil or spray, salt and pepper and fry your vegetables for approximately 5 minutes or until they have started to soften and the courgette has browned slightly.
4. Boil your kettle and prepare your chicken stock. Add this to the vegetables along with the chicken, onions and the tarragon. Bring to a boil and then leave to simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
5. Once simmered for 5 minutes, add your double cream and bring to a boil. Once boilling, set to a simmer. Mix your tablespoon of cornflour in a bowl or cup with 2 tablespoons of water and mix together. Add this to the pan and stir to thicken through.
Simmer the meal for another 2 minutes and then serve over your cooked rice and enjoy!