Description
Hearty Jamie Oliver chicken casserole brings comfort to dinner tables with rich, layered flavors from classic British cooking. Rustic ingredients and simple techniques create a memorable meal home cooks will savor.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4–6 boneless chicken thighs (with skin on)
- 100 g bacon lardons (or chopped bacon)
- 16 button mushrooms (cut into quarters)
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 2 small sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into cubes)
- 3 sprigs of thyme
- 2 tbsps (30 ml) olive oil
- 500 ml (16.9 fl oz) fresh chicken stock
Instructions
- Searing: Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet with oil and thoroughly brown chicken breasts on both sides until golden, ensuring each piece develops a rich, caramelized exterior.
- Flavor Foundation: In the same skillet, render bacon lardons and sauté onions until they transform into a translucent, fragrant base, carefully draining excess rendered fat.
- Assembling Layers: Nestle seared chicken pieces atop the bacon-onion mixture, strategically surrounding them with sweet potato cubes and mushroom slices to create a harmonious composition.
- Liquid Infusion: Cascade chicken stock over the ingredients, covering just below the chicken’s surface, and generously sprinkle fresh thyme leaves to introduce aromatic complexity.
- Simmering Transformation: Reduce heat, securely cover the skillet, and allow the ingredients to gently meld and tenderize for approximately 12-15 minutes, letting flavors intertwine.
- Finalizing Technique: Confirm chicken’s perfect doneness by checking its internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C), then transfer proteins and vegetables to a serving platter.
- Sauce Refinement: Strain remaining cooking liquid into a separate pan, reducing over medium-high heat to create a luxuriously concentrated sauce with enhanced depth and slightly viscous consistency.
Notes
- Batch Browning Technique: Sear chicken in multiple batches to ensure each piece develops a perfect golden-brown crust without overcrowding the pan.
- Fat Management: Drain excess bacon fat to prevent greasy texture and maintain clean, robust flavors in the casserole.
- Liquid Level Control: Pour chicken stock just below the chicken’s surface to maintain moisture without drowning the ingredients.
- Temperature Safety Check: Always verify chicken’s internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) to guarantee safe, fully cooked meat with no pink areas.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 720 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 40 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg