Chicken Chasseur with celeriac purée

Chicken Chasseur is a French classic dish which slowly cooks chicken, tomatoes and white wine in one pan. You may also have heard it referred to as ‘Hunters Chicken’. In this healthy version, The Hairy Dieters suggest serving it with celeriac puree as a lower-cal alternative to mashed potato.

Overall, it worked pretty well, apart from me having to use red wine instead of white because I’d downed a bottle of white wine the night before whilst bemoaning everything associated with COVID-19. In my hazy state, I figured that my teenage son Will wouldn’t notice if I substituted celeriac for his preferred mash as the juices and sauce would mask the taste. It was a case of wishful thinking due to celeriac having such a distinctive flavour and Will’s palette being more sensitive than a vegan on Facebook.

Recipe: Chicken Chasseur

Calories: 307 calories per portion

Serves: 4

Book: Hairy Dieters – Good Eating

Prep time: Approx 35 mins

Cooking time: Approx 60 mins

Ingredients: 8 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs (trimmed of fat), 1 tbsp flour, 2 tsp olive oil, 2 shallots (finely chopped), 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped), 250g mushrooms (wiped clean and quartered), 100ml white wine, 1 tbsp tomato purée, 300ml chicken stock, 200g fresh tomatoes (peeled and chopped or canned equivalent), 2 tbsp finely chopped tarragon leaves, flaked sea salt, ground black pepper

For the celeriac puree: 1 large or 2 small celeriac (peeled and cut into small chunks -you need about 1kg peeled weight), 2 garlic cloves (roughly chopped), 1 tbsp low-fat crème fraiche, flaked sea salt

Cost per portion: Approx £1.74

Method: Before starting to cook, take each chicken thigh and place it bone- side up on your work surface. Cut either side of the bone so you can flatten the thigh out slightly – this helps it cook evenly. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then dust them with flour.

Heat a teaspoon of the oil in a large frying pan and add the chicken thighs. Cook them for a couple of minutes on each side until golden brown, then remove them from the pan and set aside – you might need to do this in a couple of batches. Turn the heat down and add the remaining teaspoon of olive oil to the pan. Add the shallots, garlic and mushrooms and fry over a very gentle heat for several minutes, stirring regularly, until everything has softened without taking on much colour.

Pour in the white wine and let it bubble, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen any sticky bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the tomato purée, making sure it blends with the wine, then add the stock, tomatoes and tarragon. Put the chicken back in the pan. Simmer, uncovered, for about 40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender, and the sauce has reduced. If it looks as though the pan is becoming too dry, add a splash of water.

Serve with celeriac purée and some green veg or salad.

Celeriac purée: Put the celeriac and garlic in a medium-sized saucepan and cover with water. Season with a little salt. Bring up to simmering point, then cover and leave to cook over a low heat for about 15 minutes. Drain the celeriac and garlic in a colander, then tip everything back into the pan and mash well or purée with a stick blender. Stir in the crème fraiche, check the seasoning and serve.