Chicken and red wine casserole with herby dumplings - Recommended Recipe!

Chicken and red wine casserole with herby dumplings - serves 6, ready in 90-105 mins including 50 mins in the oven.

Ingredients
FOR THE CASSEROLE
6 part-boned chicken breasts
3 tbsp plain flour
3 tbsp olive oil
3 onions, peeled and each cut into 8 wedges
200g/8oz smoked bacon lardons
3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
300g/10oz large flat mushrooms, sliced
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp redcurrant sauce
3 strips of peeled orange zest
300ml/1/2 pint red wine
300ml/1/2 pint chicken stock

FOR THE DUMPLINGS
100g/4oz self raising flour, plus extra for dusting
100g/4oz fresh white breadcrumbs
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
140g/5oz butter, cubed
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 medium eggs, lightly beaten

Method

1. Preheat the oven to fan 180C/200C/gas 6.  Season the chicken with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then coat lightly in a little of the flour.  Heat the oil in a large ovenproof lidded casserole dish and, in batches, brown the chicken on both sides over a high heat.  Remove the chicken and set aside.
2. Reduce the heat, add the onions and lardons and cook for about 5-8 mins so they are golden tinged.  add the garlic, then sprinkle in the plain flour and cook for 1 min, stirring to prevent sticking.
3. Add the mushrooms, bay leaves, redcurrant sauce and orange zest, then pour in the red wine and stock and season with salt and pepper.  Bring to the boil,then return the chicken to the casserole dish, making sure it is well covered with the liquid.  Put on the lid and cook in the oven for 30 mins.
4. While the casserole is cooking, prepare the dumplings.  Put the self-raising flour, breadcrumbs, mustard and butter in a food processor and blitz to a crumb consistency.  Add the thyme, parsley, eggs and salt and pepper.  Briefly blitz until the mixture forms a fairly moist dough.  Using floured hands, roll the dough into 6 large, even-sized balls.
5. Remove the casserole from the oven when the 30 mins is up and sit the dumplings on top.  Pop the lid back on and return to the oven for a further 20 mins, until the casserole is cooked and the dumplings have puffed up.  Spoon the chicken and sauce onto six plates  and top each with a dumpling.  Serve with a rich, fruity red wine.

Per serving - 701 kcal, 47g protein, 38g carbohydrate, 37g fat, 17g saturated fat, 3g fibre, 1g added sugar, 2.55g salt.

Source - BBC Good Food magazine.