Roast chicken and mixed mushroom casserole with rosemary dumplings
Whip up a comforting chicken and mushroom casserole topped with golden rosemary dumplings in just one hour. Tender roast chicken, earthy mushrooms, and a rich, creamy sauce come together, baked under fluffy dumplings for a delicious, cosy meal.
Serves 6
Hands-on time 30 minsTotal time 1 hr
INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, finely sliced
3 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
500g mixed mushrooms, sliced (chestnut, girolles, porcini and portobello all work well)
3 tbsp plain flour
100ml dry white wine
500ml Sutton Hoo Chicken stock
600g Sutton Hoo cooked roast chicken, roughly shredded
4 tbsp full fat crème fraiche
Steamed greens, to serve (optional)
For the dumplings
100g salted butter, chilled and cubed
200g self-raising flour
4 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6.
2. Heat a large casserole dish or ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and thyme and fry, covered with a lid for 10 mins, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften. Mix in the mushrooms and cook for 10 mins further until evenly golden. Stir the flour through the mushrooms, then mix in the wine and cook for 2-3 mins until reduced by half. Gradually add the stock, stirring continuously until you have a smooth, glossy sauce. Remove from the heat and mix in the chicken and crème fraiche. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.
3. To make the dumplings, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Mix through the rosemary, a pinch of sea salt and a grind of black pepper then drizzle over 2-3 tbsp cold water and mix with a cutlery knife until you have a soft dough. Divide into x12 equal-sized balls and place evenly spaced apart on top of the casserole.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 mins until the dumplings are plump and evenly golden. For a denser dumpling, cook in the oven with the lid on.
5. Serve immediately with steamed greens on the side.
To roast a roughly 2kg Sutton Hoo chicken:
1. Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 mins before roasting to allow it to come up to room temperature and cook more evenly.
2. Preheat the oven to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas 7.
3. Place the chicken in a roasting tray, slightly larger than the bird, ensuring it is a snug fit, so the roasting juices don’t evaporate. Pat the skin dry with kitchen paper, then rub all over with 1 tbsp olive oil. Season both the bird and cavity generously with sea salt, then stuff the cavity with 1 halved garlic bulb, 2 bay leaves, 1 whole lemon and a few sprigs of thyme.
4. Roast the chicken on the middle shelf of the oven for 20 mins, then reduce the temperature to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6 and cook for a further 1 hr 15-20 mins, until the juices run clear, the meat fibres are set, and the chicken skin is golden and crisp.
5. Set aside to rest for a minimum of 10 mins, allowing the meat to relax and retain its juices.