This certainly isn't the prettiest dish but it's full of flavour. Dried morel mushrooms are very expensive, the only other fungi more expensive are truffles. If you don't want to use morels this is also lovely with dried ceps.
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Ingredients
40gdried morelssoaked in warm water for 20 minutes
2 tbspolive oil
8sprigstarragon
8chicken thighs, boneless skinless
4banana shallotsfinely sliced
2clovesgarlicfinely sliced
100mldry vermouth
200mlchicken stock
200mldouble cream
Charred leeks and spring onions
4baby leeks,trimmed and halved from root to tip
4spring onions
2tbspolive oil
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 220C fan. Season the thighs all over with salt and pepper. Put a roasting tin that will fit the chicken thighs on the hob, add half the butter and half the olive oil and gently melt. Lay the tarragon sprigs in the bottom of the pan and place the thighs on top of the tarragon. Put in the oven and roast for 25 minutes.
Drain the morels reserving 100ml of the soaking water. In a heavy based saucepan add the remaining butter and oil and sweat the shallots for 10 minutes. Add the garlic and morels and cook for a further 3-4 minutes. Turn the heat up to high and pour in the vermouth, allow to bubble for 2 minutes, add the chicken stock and reserved morel soaking water, bring to the boil then simmer until reduced by half.
Stir in the cream and let it bubble until the sauce becomes slightly thickened. Once the chicken has roasted for 25 minutes, remove from the oven, reduce the temperature to 160C fan, pour the sauce over the chicken, then return to the oven for 10 minutes.
Serve with mash or a baked potato and greens or the charred leeks mentioned below.
Charred leeks and spring onions
Preheat the grill to high. Place the leeks and spring onions on a tray and cover generously with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and place under the grill for 5-7 minutes until nicely charred.