It takes about 15 minutes to make this meal including its side dishes from start to finish – for a reduced fat option you can use reduced fat cream and add about a third of the required cream only at the end of the recipe, and use plain stock instead to cook.  If you don’t want to add the brandy for any reason add a tablespoon of verjuice to help the chicken and mushrooms caramelise.

Country Style Chicken & Mushrooms
Serves 4

Ingredients
–  600gms chicken breasts, cut into chunks and dusted with flour
–  1 red onion finely chopped
–  2 cloves garlic
–  30gms butter
–  2 tbsp olive oil
–  60mls brandy
–  250gms brown button mushrooms
–  2 sprigs thyme
–  2 tbsp chopped parsley
–  400mls cream (reduced fat option 100mls cream)
–  100mls stock (reduced fat option 300mls stock)
–  salt & pepper to season

Start by heating the butter and oil in a frying pan.  Add the garlic, thyme and finely chopped onion and cook till starting to soften.  Add the mushrooms and the chickens, make sure you have removed most of the flour.  Allow this to start to brown, make sure it browns as this is where the dishes pale colouring comes from.  Once the chicken and mushrooms have browned, add the brandy and deglaze the pan – BEWARE if the pan is hot the brandy may catch alight, don’t panic just leave the pan alone and let the flame burn out [When you add alcohol to a pan always add it from a seperate container and not the bottle, also do not hold the handle of the pan was you add the alcohol, if it explodes into flames you may give yourself a fright and pull the pan off the stove].  Make sure you loosen all those yummy bits.  Now add the cream and half the stock if you are making it the full fat way, or alternatively add 200mls stock.

Allow the chicken pieces to cook about 6-7 minutes, the cream should have thickened by now, or if you are using stock most of the stock should have evaporated and you can add your splash of cream and let that reduce in a minute or so.  Add your chopped parsley and serve with mashed potatoes or if you are being good eat it with crisp green vegetables.