This is one of those recipes I should never have attempted in Florida. It was a bit like coming across my favourite pair of grey ribbed cashmere tights at the back of the drawer – it’s hot enough here that it seems inconceivable to ever want something that thick next to my skin. And these flavours too are so wintry that they feel wrong in the relentless Miami sun: it’s just not the right place to appreciate bolstering cider, mushrooms, cream and dill. But if your climactic lot in February is the usual wet/grey/wind combo, this is a super dish, comforting yet vibrant. Definitely on my list to replicate on a November day in London. Added bonus: just the one pan to wash up.
One-pot chicken with new potatoes, mushrooms and dill
Recipe adapted from . Serves 2, satisfyingly, and should take you about 50 minutes to put together in total, with 30 minutes hands off cooking time.
- Butter and olive oil
- 4 chicken pieces, preferably with skin and bones (I used 2 breasts with ribs and 2 drumsticks)
- About 10 new potatoes
- 2 portabella mushrooms
- 500ml of dry cider
- A small bunch of dill
- Cream – a splash or a couple of glugs, depending on your tastes
In a casserole or deep sauté pan, heat a chunk of butter and a tablespoon or so of olive oil. When hot, add the chicken pieces and brown until lightly golden on all sides, seasoning with salt and pepper as you go.
Meanwhile slice the mushrooms into large chunks and halve the potatoes. When the chicken has a nice colour, remove it to a plate and add the mushrooms to the pan. Sauté these until they lose their water and darken, then add the potatoes and cook these too until tinged around the edges.
Now pour in the cider and add back in the chicken pieces. Bring to a boil and then simmer briskly for about 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
Depending on how much liquid is left, you can either add the cream and dill directly to the pan juices, or, if the sauce is too thin, remove the chicken pieces again and reduce the sauce down before adding the cream. Serve with a green vegetable: nothing too crunchy though, this needs something to mop up the sauce, like savoy cabbage or tender broccoli.
