Serves 6
4 lb (1.8kg) oven-ready chicken,
jointed
seasoned flour
2 oz (50g) butter
1 tablespoon oil
2 small onions
1-2 cloves garlic
until required.
8 oz (225g) button mushrooms
1 lb (450g) ripe tomatoes
4 fl oz (125m1) dry white wine
1/2 pint (300m1) chicken stock
1 tablespoon concentrated tomato
puree
bouquet garni
salt and freshly milled pepper
chopped parsley, to garnish
Trim the chicken pieces and roll in seasoned flour. Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan (with lid) over moderate heat. When and foaming, add the chicken pieces and fry for 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until brown all over. Meanwhile, peel thinly slice the onions and peel and crush the garlic with salt. Trim the mushrooms. Scald the tomatoes and peel away the skins then chop them. Remove the chicken from the pan and keep warm until required.
Add the onions to the hot fat remaining in the pan and fry gently for 10 minutes until golden, then add the garlic and mushroom.
Return the chicken to the pan, add the chopped tomatoes, wine and stock, tomato puree and bouquet garni. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer covered, for 30 minutes, until tender. Discard bouquet garni.
Transfer the chicken and mushrooms to a warmed serving platter and keep hot. Press the sauce through a sieve and return to the rinsed pan. Boil rapidly for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, to reduce the sauce and concentrate the flavours. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve win: saffron rice.