Childhood Favourite

What was your favourite dish growing up.... I am pretty sure my little sister Alice's was roast or spag bol. An early memory I have is mum asking me what I wanted for my birthday supper.. I clearly remember asking for chicken in a white sauce with mushrooms with rice and peas. I am not sure what this says about me as a child but it is great. Its been raining in Melbourne the last couple of days and I was craving comfort food

Joe made this dish and its a variation on the Chicken Fricasse mentioned about. Here is what you will need for two with leftovers.

2 diced chicken breasts
1 white onion
200g of mushrooms
2 carrots
250ml cider
150 ml of double cream
2 spring onions
pinch of paprkia
pinch of flour and a knob of butter
salt and pepper to season


Preheat oven to 180 degrees

Soften the onion and mushrooms in a casserole dish, so that the onion becomes opaque not brown. Once softened, empty out of the casserole and leave to one side.

Now colour diced chicken breasts in a little olive oil and the paprika, once coloured, add back in the mushrooms and onion, add carrots, spring onions, cider, cream and seasoning and bring to a simmer.  The sauce will be quite runny, a little trick to help thicken is to cream together butter and flour to create a paste. Drop this paste into your sauce and stir.

The cider we used is called Apple Head, it is made by Thunder Road Brewery an awesome boutique brewery that Joe's sister's partner Dan works for. If you are ever in aussie you must try out their beers.

Now pop the top on your casserole dish, or cover your ovenproof dish with tin foil. Put in the oven for around 30 to 40 minutes. Check to make sure it doesn't dry out too much and that it simmers gently.

We served ours with brown rice and some kale.

Not sure if this was mum's original recipe, but thank you :)