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Cider Chicken Casserole

A one-pot chicken casserole with pancetta, leeks, celery and cider, with peas and lettuce wilted into the sauce and fresh tarragon scattered over.

By Nigella Lawson

chickencasserolebritishone-pot
Illustration of Cider Chicken Casserole
Illustration

Ingredients

  • 5 oz pancetta, cubed (1/2 cup); or lardons, or 10 slices bacon, chopped
  • 12 chicken thighs, bone in, with or without skin; preferably organic
  • 1 leek, cleaned, quartered lengthwise then thinly sliced
  • 1 celery stalk, quartered lengthwise then thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
  • 2 tsp freeze-dried tarragon
  • 1 tsp kosher salt, or 1/2 tsp table salt
  • white pepper, good grinding
  • 2 cups dry hard cider
  • 2 cups frozen petits pois or peas
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 romaine lettuce heart, small, cut into strips or roughly shredded
  • 2 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
  • 1 tsp vegetable oil

Steps

1Brown the pancetta and chicken

  1. Heat 1 tsp vegetable oil in a large, wide Dutch oven that comes with a lid and can be taken to the table.
  2. Add 5 oz cubed pancetta and cook until it begins to give off its juices and starts to color.
  3. Add the 12 chicken thighs, skin-side down if yours have skin.
  4. Toss the cubes of pancetta on top of the meat as you put the poultry in the pan, to stop the pancetta burning and to make space.
  5. Cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat.
  6. Turn the thighs over.
  7. Tip in the 1 leek, cleaned, quartered lengthwise then thinly sliced.
  8. Add the 1 celery stalk, quartered lengthwise then thinly sliced.
  9. Add the 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped.
  10. Season with 2 tsp freeze-dried tarragon.
  11. Season with 1 tsp kosher salt.
  12. Season with a good grinding of white pepper.
  13. Stir everything around a bit and let it cook for another 5 minutes.

2Build the casserole

  1. Pour in 2 cups dry hard cider.
  2. Sprinkle in 2 cups frozen petits pois.
  3. Bring the pan to a boil.
  4. Cover, turn down to a very gentle heat and cook for 40 minutes.
  5. Remove the lid.
  6. Stir in 1 tbsp Dijon mustard.
  7. Toss the 1 shredded romaine lettuce heart over the chicken and let it wilt in the hot sauce for a couple of minutes.

3Finish and serve

  1. Scatter 2 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon over the dish.
  2. Take the steamily fragrant pan to the table.