Creamy chicken casserole with potato dumplings

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After the oven

Before the oven

Chewy dumplings and creamy chicken with the strange, but wonderful flavour of tarragon make this an ideal winter stew.

Ingredients

Chicken stew

• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 3 cloves of Garlic, peeled and crushed or to taste
• 300 ml (1/2 pint) vegetable stock
• 120 ml (4 fl oz) white wine or dry sherry
• 4 large chicken breasts, skin removed
• 300 ml single cream
• 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
• Pinch of mustard powder, to taste
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Dumplings

• 225 g (8 oz) floury potatoes (Desiree, King Edward), peeled, boiled and mashed
• 115 g (6 oz) suet
• 115 g (4 oz) self-raising flour
• Up to 50 ml (50 g) (2 fl oz) water, you'll need less or none at all if the potatoes are 'wet'.
• 2 tablespoons fresh mixed herbs, chopped
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mise en place

• Preheat the oven to 190° C (375° F - gas 5)

Method

1. Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces
2. Add the stock, onion, garlic, mustard powder wine and chicken pieces to a large oven-proof casserole dish, bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes
3. Add the tarragon and cream and heat gently for 5 minutes, stirring well. Season to taste
4. In a bowl, mix the dumpling ingredients into a soft dough. If you're lazy like me, lob it all into a food-processor and blitz it. Add the water a little at a time until the mixture binds together. I've made these dumplings when they have had the consistency of thick double cream and they still cook out ok.
5. With lightly floured hands, roll into 6 balls
6. Lay the dumplings onto the chicken casserole
7. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes
8. Finish for 5 minutes under a grill to crisp the dumplings - keep you eye on them though, they burn easily.

Variations

If you don't have fresh herbs, use half the amount of dried herbs instead.

Chef's notes

Take a tip from Delia Smith, use crème fraiche instead of single cream as it is far less likely to split when heated.

See also

• Get chicken pieces the economical way, joint the chicken yourself