Vegetarian-friendly Russian-style Chicken Stroganoff

Chicken or Vegetarian Stroganoff

Serves 4

Equipment:

2 chopping boards 

2 large knives

2 large frying pans

1 saucepan

1 measuring jug

1 Spatula

Kettle or alternative means of boiling water

Ingredients:

Basics

½ a red onion

½ a regular onion

1 clove of garlic

1 ½ tablespoons Olive Oil 

1 ½ tablespoons Salted butter

300ml Chicken Stock (or Vegetable Stock)

Sea salt

Pepper 

Herbs

Thyme 

Mixed herbs

Sumac

Smoked paprika

Coriander

Fresh dill

Superstars

150ml Pinot Grigio (or other dry white wine)

250g Chestnut mushrooms

500g Chicken thighs (or 250g Portobellini Mushrooms and 250g large white mushrooms e.g. Porcini)

150ml Sour cream

150ml Double cream

150g Basmati rice

150g Wild rice

Method:

This dish is created over four phases (unless you are a vegetarian in which case you get to skip phase 3)
1. Saute the mushrooms
2. Brown the seasoned chicken
3. Combine and simmer with cream
4. Rustle up some wild rice

Phase 1: Sauté the mushrooms

1. Add the butter and oil to a frying panel and fry over a gentle heat being careful not to burn the butter

2. Finely chop the onions and add to the frying pan 

3. Finely chop the garlic and add to the frying pan

4. Finely chop the the mushrooms and add to the frying pan along with 3 teaspoons of mixed herbs and 3 teaspoons of smoked paprika. Once the mushrooms become golden brown, add the white wine. 

Phase 2: Brown the seasoned chicken

1. Cut the chicken thighs into strips and then slice them further into bitesize morsels. They will reduce so don’t slice them too small.

2. Massage 1 tablespoon of thyme into the chicken strips so that they are fully seasoned. 

3. Rub a further 2 teaspoons of sumac into the chicken strips so they are adorned with green and purple specks of herby deliciousness

4. Add 5ml of olive oil to a separate frying pan and bring to a medium heat

5. Add the chicken strips to the frying pan and turn using the spatula to ensure that all sides are browned; then leave in for 3 more minutes on the medium heat to ensure the chicken is cooked through - don’t worry, the chicken will spend even more time over the heat in the next phase. You might need to do the chicken in multiple runs depending on the size of your frying pan.

Phase 3: Combine and simmer with cream

1. Add the chicken to the pan of mushrooms

2. Pour in the chicken stock and increase the heat so that the frying pan is simmering

3. Stir in the sour cream and double cream. The pan will turn a lovely shade of brown and you’ll likely see bubbling and caramelisation at the sides of the pan

4. Stir in 3 teaspoons of sumac and 2 teaspoons of coriander 

5. Once the pan of stroganoff has been simmering for five minutes, reduce to a very low heat and let the flavours infuse for the next twenty minutes while you prep the rice.

Phase 4: Rustle up some rice

1. Wash 300g of rice, add to a saucepan of water, bring to the boil and let simmer for 15 minutes

2. Stir into the rice 1 teaspoon of sea salt, 3 twists of pepper and 2 teaspoons of mixed herbs and continue to simmer for a further 5 minutes until the rice is soft

3. Wash the fresh dill, separate the strands from the stems and finely chop

3. Finally, plate the rice, dole out generous portions of stroganoff and sprinkle with sprigs of shredded dill

Voila! Dinner is served!