Ladies I am back, forgive me my hiatus. I would give excuses but they are just boring as involve mostly work!!
I did learn a foodie fact at work though – did you know that all chicken products in Australian come from Australian grown chickens? Yes fact – apparently there are some conditions that you are able to import raw chicken meat however to date no supplier has been able to meet these conditions. Whether it be a chicken maryland (see below) or a frozen nugget, the chicken is guaranteed to be an Aussie bird.
Enough facts let’s get down to business.
Winter has been seriously COLD this year. I was lulled into a false sense that summer would last forever (the beach in May was wonderful.) There is such a freedom in summer and it is my favourite season. However, I did start to crave the comfort that winter brings with it, the wild weather outside and being cosy inside with a lovely heat. Wish it was an open fire, but I am not going to lie – its just a heater! Serves its warming purpose though.
Mostly though it is the comfort food that I love about winter. Slow cooking, meat falling from the bone and a lovely glass of wine.
This recipe, which I have adapted from a recipe I found in Better Homes & Gardens (confession, I LOVE this mag!), is now a staple in my home and I am cooking it at every opportunity.
Recipe
Prep time: 20 mins Cooking time 1 hour 40 mins
Serves 6
- 1/4 cup plain flour
- 6 chicken marylands
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 6 eschalots
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 rashes rindless bacon, cut into 2cm strips
- 500 ml dry white wine
- 250 ml chicken stock
- 150 cup mushrooms
- 2 fresh bay leaves (or dried…my husband recently massacred my bay tree, but that is story for another time)
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- salt and pepper to season
Dumplings
- 1 1/2 cups self raising flour
- 1/2 tsp sea-salt flakes
- 30g parmesan, grated
- 50g butter, chilled, chopped
- 1 free range egg
- 125ml milk
Step 1
Preheat oven to 180 degree C. Put flour in large bowl and season. Add chicken pieces and toss well to coat
Step 2
Heat 1 Tbsp of the oil in a large ovenproof saucepan over a medium heat. Add eschalots, garlic and bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until eschalots, garlic and bacon are golden. Set aside on a plate.
Step 3
In the same pan, heat 1 Tbsp of the remaining oil. Add 1/2 of the chicken pieces and brown, turning occasionally for about 5 minutes or until well browned. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining oil and chicken.
Step 4
Return browned chicken and bacon mixture to pan. Add WINE, stock, mushrooms, bay leaves and thyme and bring to the boil. Cover with lid, transfer to oven and cook for 1 hour
Step 5
Meanwhile, to make dumplings, combine flour, salt, thyme and Parmesan in a bowl. Add butter and run in until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre and add egg and milk, stirring until just combined and a soft dough forms. Make 10 balls of dough and put on top of chicken, about 2 cm apart, and cook for a further 25 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Serve.