SERVES 4 (FREEZE STEW ONLY)
HANDS-ON TIME 35 MINS
TOTAL TIME 2 HRS 40 MINS
These succulent chicken thighs, cooked in a rich, creamy sauce and topped with fluffy dumplings to help soak up all the juices, freeze especially well. Why not make a double batch so you can enjoy one meal now and another further down the line?
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 leeks, sliced
• 1 x 640g pack chicken thigh fillets, cut into chunky pieces
• 1 x 150g unsmoked gammon steak, chopped (excess fat trimmed)
• 40g plain flour
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 200ml white wine or dry cider
• 500ml hot chicken stock (made using 1 stock cube)
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• ½ tbsp Dijon mustard
• 50ml double cream
• 100g frozen peas
For the dumplings
• 200g self-raising flour
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 100g suet
• ½ x 30g pack parsley, leaves finely chopped
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 50ml buttermilk (or see ‘kitchen tip’, right)
• 2 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 Heat the oil in an ovenproof casserole over a medium heat. Add the onion and leeks with a pinch of salt, and fry gently for 5 minutes until softened and translucent.
2 Add the chicken and gammon, turn up the heat and fry for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the flour and thyme and cook for 1-2 minutes. Pour in the wine or cider, cook for 3 minutes, then pour in the stock. Bring to a simmer, season to taste, then reduce to a low heat and cover the pan. Cook for 1 hour. After thi
