Serving size: Serves 4
Cuisine type: French
Cooking time: More than 1 hour
Course: Main
Favourite flavours: Chicken, Easy recipes
Convenience recipes: four or less

Real Living recipe for braised chicken with thyme and sherry.

INGREDIENTS

3 tbsp olive oil
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 brown onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 baby carrots, trimmed & peeled
3 large fresh thyme sprigs
1/3 cup plain flour
Sea salt & cracked black pepper
8 chicken thighs on the bone
½ cup semi-sweet sherry
2¼ cups chicken stock
1½ tbsp Dijon mustard
600g new potatoes, halved (or quartered if large)
Handful flat-leaf parsley
Crusty bread, to serve

Equipment
Sharp knife
Large ovenproof saucepan or metal baking dish
2 plates
Wooden spoon
2 large bowls
Tongs

METHOD

Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Heat half of oil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add celery, onion, garlic, carrots and thyme and cook for 8 mins until beginning to soften.

Coat chicken Meanwhile, pour flour on plate and season with salt and pepper. Coat chicken thighs one at a time in flour, tapping each chicken thigh over plate to remove excess flour. Place floured chicken on clean plate.

Transfer vegetables from saucepan to bowl. Return saucepan to stovetop and heat remaining oil.

Cook chicken pieces in saucepan for a few mins on each side until golden. Pour off any excess fat and transfer to bowl with vegies.

Deglaze saucepan with sherry. Boil liquid for 1 min to reduce, scraping bottom of pan to include any bits left from chicken.

Add stock to saucepan, and stir in mustard and potatoes. Add chicken and vegies. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Season.

Arrange chicken pieces skin-side-up so skin crisps while cooking.

Place saucepan in oven and cook for 25 to 30 mins until chicken is cooked and potatoes are tender. Remove saucepan from oven.

Serve Season dish to taste. Spoon into serving bowls, sprinkle with parsley and serve with crusty bread to soak up the yummy juices.