TV cook Mary Berry has shared her recipe for chicken and red wine casserole, describing it as the perfect dish for a cold day. Packed with tender chicken, smoky bacon and rich red wine sauce, this comforting meal serves six people.
The recipe takes less than 30 minutes to prepare, with a cooking time of between 30 minutes and an hour. Mary recommends serving it with creamy mashed potatoes and green vegetables.
Mary Berry's career
Mary Berry is one of Britain's best-known cookery writers and television presenters. She became a judge on The Great British Bake Off when the programme launched in 2010.
Her career began as cookery editor of Housewife magazine before she moved to Ideal Home. Since then, she has appeared in numerous television programmes and written more than 70 cookbooks. In June 2009, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Guild of Food Writers.
Ingredients for the casserole
For the dish, you will need 6 small skinless chicken breasts, 400g peeled baby shallots, 3 garlic cloves (crushed), a small bunch of fresh thyme, 4 bay leaves, 600ml red wine, 2 tbsp olive oil, 75g butter (divided), 350g streaky bacon (chopped), 3 tbsp plain flour, 150ml water, 1 tbsp tomato purée, 1 tbsp light muscovado sugar, 400g button mushrooms (halved), and salt and freshly ground black pepper. To serve, mashed potato and shredded cabbage.
Method
Step 1: Marinate the chicken. Place the shallots, crushed garlic, thyme, bay leaves and red wine in a large bowl. Mix well, then add the chicken breasts and season with salt and black pepper. Cover and leave to marinate for at least one hour.
Step 2: Preheat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan/Gas Mark 3). Place a colander over a large saucepan and drain the chicken, reserving the wine marinade, shallots, bay leaves and thyme. Pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper.
Step 3: Brown the chicken. Heat the olive oil and 50g of butter in a large, deep, ovenproof frying pan or casserole dish. Fry the chicken over a medium-high heat for five to 10 minutes on each side, until browned all over. You may need to cook it in batches. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Step 4: Prepare the wine sauce. Pour the reserved marinade into a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook over a high heat for five to 10 minutes, until the liquid has reduced by about a third. In a bowl, whisk the flour and water together until smooth. Stir in a little of the hot wine, then pour the mixture into the saucepan with the remaining wine. Keep the sauce hot.
Step 5: Cook the bacon and shallots. Using the same frying pan or casserole dish, fry the chopped bacon over a high heat for about 10 minutes, until browned. Add the reserved shallots and cook for another 10 minutes, or until they begin to soften.
Step 6: Combine and bake. Pour the hot wine sauce into the pan with the bacon and shallots. Add the tomato purée, muscovado sugar, reserved bay leaves and thyme. Season with salt and black pepper. Bring the mixture to the boil, stirring until the sauce thickens. Add the browned chicken and bring everything back to the boil. Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Step 7: Cook the mushrooms. While the casserole is in the oven, melt the remaining 25g of butter in a separate pan. Add the halved button mushrooms and fry over a medium heat for five to 10 minutes, until just cooked. Stir the mushrooms into the casserole just before serving.
Step 8: Serve. Remove the bay leaves and thyme before serving the casserole hot with creamy mashed potato and shredded cabbage.
