Mary Berry’s seasonal chicken and leek casserole recipe is buttery and delicious (Image: Getty)
A good casserole dish is essential in every home kitchen and comes in handy for quick dinners.
The oven-proof utensil can be loaded with a range of tasty whole foods, including meat, vegetables, and other , before being baked.
British chef is a seasoned professional when it comes to , and her chicken breasts with leek, potatoes, and thyme are a delicious and easy dinner option.
This simple , which debuted in and Lucy Young’s ‘The Complete Aga Cookbook,’ calls for baby new potatoes and seasonal leeks.
The latter can be found in abundance right now in the UK, which means they are incredibly affordable and taste their best – with slightly sweet, earthy and pepper notes.
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Leeks soak up the buttery chicken juices perfectly in this dish (Image: Getty)
Chicken breasts with leek, potatoes and thyme recipe
Ingredients
- 350g (12 oz) baby new potatoes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Four thin leeks, cut into 2cm (¾ in) slices
- Six small chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
- One tbsp olive oil
- One tbsp runny honey
- 50g (2 oz) butter
- One onion, thinly sliced
- One garlic clove, crushed
- 50g (2 oz) flour
- 450ml (16 fl oz)
- Apple juice
- 200ml ( pint) full-fat crème fraiche
- One tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
- Two tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Don’t miss… [RECIPE]
This tasty recipe is quick to make in just one hour (Image: Getty)
Method
A large 2.3-litre (4-pint) ovenproof dish is essential for this to ensure the flavours meld together while the chicken bakes. Butter the dish first, then start on the potatoes.
Put the potatoes into a pan, cover with cold water, add a generous sprinkling of salt and bring to a boil on the boiling plate if using an Aga. If not, boil it on the stove.
Cook the potatoes at the boiling point for 12 minutes, then add the leeks to the water and boil for three more minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Drain in a colander, then proceed to the meat.
Season the chicken with plenty of salt and pepper, and then heat the oil in a large frying pan on the boiling plate (or stovetop).
Add the chicken and drizzle with the honey before quickly browning the chicken for a few minutes until golden. Remove the chicken breast from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the butter to the unwashed frying pan, followed by the onion and garlic. Fry on the Boiling Plate for a minute. Then, cover it with a lid and transfer it to the simmering oven for 10 minutes.
Remove the lid, return to the boiling plate, and fry for a minute. Then sprinkle in the flour, stir in the apple juice, and mix until smooth. Add the crème fraîche and fragrant thyme, and season with a little more salt and pepper.
Stir the mixture until thickened and bring to a boil. Then remove the pan from the heat, add the leeks and potatoes, and stir to mix.
Tip the pan’s contents into the dish and place the chicken on top. Cover with foil and seal the edges.
Bake on the grid shelf on the floor of the roasting oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for eight to 10 minutes more or until the chicken is cooked through.
If you’re using a conventional oven, preheat it to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6, and bake for up to 25 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for a further 10 minutes.
To serve, sprinkle the dish with the chopped fresh parsley and dish up with a side of green vegetables.