Description
A comforting British dinner recipe featuring tender diced chicken breasts cooked in a creamy cider sauce with crispy bacon lardons, mushrooms, and a touch of Dijon mustard and thyme. Perfect served over mashed potatoes with steamed green vegetables.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 150 g (1/2 cup) bacon lardons or chopped streaky bacon
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 onion peeled and chopped
- 3 large chicken breasts, diced (about 525 g / 1.1 lbs)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 12 baby mushrooms chopped in half
- 270 ml (1 cup + 2 tbsp) dry cider (hard cider if you’re in the USA)
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) double (heavy) cream
Optional Thickening Agent
- 2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch in USA) mixed with 6 tbsp cold water
To Serve
- Mashed potatoes
- Steamed green veg – such as broccoli or green beans
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
Instructions
- Cook Bacon Lardons: Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the bacon lardons and fry for 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until crispy. Remove them with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl, leaving the bacon fat in the pan.
- Sauté Onion: Add the oil to the pan and keep the heat at medium. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes until softened.
- Cook Chicken: Add the diced chicken breasts, salt, and pepper to the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high and fry the chicken, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden, about 8 minutes.
- Add Mushrooms: Add the halved baby mushrooms and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Add Cider, Mustard, and Thyme: Pour in the dry cider, then stir in the Dijon mustard and dried thyme. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 4 minutes until slightly reduced.
- Stir in Cream: Mix in the double (heavy) cream. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Optional Sauce Thickening: If a thicker sauce is desired, gradually pour in the cornflour slurry while stirring continuously to avoid lumps.
- Combine Bacon and Heat Through: Return the crispy bacon lardons to the pan and heat for 1-2 minutes until everything is warmed through.
- Serve: Serve the creamy chicken and cider sauce over mashed potatoes with steamed green vegetables. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley before serving.
Notes
- Reheat gently in a pan over low-medium heat for approximately 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until piping hot all the way through.
- Alternatively, reheat in a preheated oven at 170°C (325°F) in a covered dish for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until hot.
- Nutrition information does not include mashed potatoes or green vegetables served alongside.
- For a gluten-free version, ensure the cider and mustard are gluten-free.
- The cornflour slurry helps thicken the sauce if preferred thicker but is optional.
