CHRISTMAS DELIGHT 5 : CHICKEN IN WHITE WINE AND GARLIC

Ingredients:

1/4 tsp black pepper

50 gm plain flour

4 Tbsp olive or sunflower oil

4 rashers lean bacon, chopped

10-12 small onions or shallots, peeled and cut in half

180 gm mushrooms, sliced

25 gm butter

500 gm boneless and skinless chicken breasts, chopped into 3cm pieces

300 ml dry white wine

300 ml chicken or vegetable stock

4 garlic cloves, peeled

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs of fresh thyme, washed or 1/2 tsp dried thyme

Direction:

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Mix the pepper with the flour and coat the chicken pieces thoroughly.

Set aside.

Heat a large frying pan on a medium heat. Add 2 tbsp of oil and when it becomes hot, tip in the bacon. Fry until it becomes brown.

Then tip in the onions and fry till they turn golden brown on the outside. Add the mushrooms and fry for 2 minutes.

Transfer the bacon, onions and mushrooms into a heatproof casserole dish with a lid.

Add the remaining oil and the butter in the frying pan and fry the chicken 5-7 minutes until it is browned on the outside. Place the chicken in the casserole with the vegetables.

Pour the wine into the frying pan and bring to the boil scraping any sediment from the bottom of the pan, then pour over the ingredients in the casserole.

Place the chicken stock, garlic, bay leaves and thyme in the fry pan and bring to the boil.

Add the stock and herbs to the chicken.

Cover the casserole dish and cook in the oven for 1 hour or until the chicken is tender.

Serve with boiled potatoes and carrots.