Ingredients
- ¼ cup (30 g) plain flour
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1.5 kg whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) olive oil
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 400 g button mushrooms, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 cup (250 ml) sherry
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme
- 2 cups (500 ml) chicken stock
- 2 carrots, cut in half lengthways and sliced into 4 cm lengths
- 2 sticks celery, cut into 4 cm lengths
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Method
1. Place the flour and paprika in a large bowl, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and mix together well. Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan and cook the chicken in batches over medium-high heat for 6–8 minutes, or until golden all over. Remove. Add the onion to the pan and cook, stirring, over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until soft. Remove. Add the remaining oil and the mushrooms to the pan, and cook for 4 minutes. Add the garlic, sherry and thyme, and cook, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any sediment, for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. Place the chicken, onion and mushrooms into a large, deep saucepan, then add the stock, carrot, celery and bay leaf. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, or until the chicken and vegetables are cooked and the sauce is thickened. If necessary, thin the sauce with a little more stock or water. Sprinkle over the parsley and serve with rice or mashed potato.
