CREAMY CHICKEN & COURGETTES (serves 3-4)
Ingredients :
3 rashers smoked streaky bacon, diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
2 medium courgettes, cut into 3-4mm slices
3-4 chestnut mushrooms, cut into 3-4mm slices
3 boneless & skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size chunks
freshly ground black pepper
half a tsp of dried thyme
2 tbsp cream sherry plus a teaspoonful
1 tsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp Campbells' condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 heaped tsp low salt chicken stock powder (or 1 low salt chicken stock cube, crumbled)
200ml water
2 tbsp double cream
a handful of parsley, chopped finely.
Method :
1. Heat a deep frying pan or wok and add the bacon. Fry on a medium to hot heat until all the water has come out of the bacon and it is starting to fry in its own grease. Add the onion and keep the contents of the pan moving until the onion has softened. Remove and set aside.
2. Add one tbsp of the rapeseed oil, then the courgettes and mushroom. On the same heat as previously (hopefully, the pan is still hot), fry until the courgettes are softened and are showing some colour. Only let them sit for seconds at a time. It is best to keep them moving as in such a hot pan it would be easy to let them burn, when they become bitter and nasty. You don't want that! Once they are softened and coloured (the mushrooms are just along for the ride), remove and set aside.
3. Add the remaining tbsp of rapeseed oil and, while the pan is still hot, add the chicken. Fry quickly on a hot heat to colour and seal the outside of the chunks.
4. Add a good quantity of freshly ground black pepper and the thyme. Stir to combine.
5. Add the bacon & onion mixture to the pan and stir to combine.
6. Add the sherry and vinegar to the pan and allow it to bubble like mad to burn off the alcohol. When reduced by half, add the stock powder and water. Stir again.
7. Add the mushroom soup and stir well to ensure all the lumps are dispersed.
8. You can now turn the heat down to a simmer.
9. Add the courgettes and mushrooms and the cream. Stir gently and allow to simmer until the chicken is completely cooked. Stir through half of the parsley.
10. Serve with pasta ribbons and a sprinkling of the remainder of the parsley.