A taste of Russia

By Jan Cheshire

I’M going back to the seventies with this dish.  Recently, I was throwing out some old recipes which I have had for years, the paper all yellow; some torn beyond recognition, some spattered with whatever sauce I was making at the time.  I decided I had to keep some of my all-time favourites and type them up on the computer for posterity.

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This is a delicious recipe from my early days in Australia, when I was obliged to do a fair bit of entertaining.  I have no idea where it came from, but I think I found it in a 1970s English magazine.  It withstands the test of time and makes a very tasty dinner for all the family, or for a special meal with friends.  This will serve six.
 
CHICKEN ZHIVAGO
Ingredients
6 single chicken breasts
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 large onion, finely chopped
6 rashers of bacon cut into strips
125g button mushrooms, sliced
60g butter
500ml of chicken stock
3 tablespoons of sherry or white wine
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon of mixed herbs
1 small carton of thick cream
A handful of parsley

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180.
2. Lay chicken breasts flat on a board, cut across into strips about ½ inch thick, and toss the chicken in flour.
3. Melt half the butter in a pan, add onion and bacon and cook until tender, then add mushrooms. Put onion, bacon and mushrooms into a casserole dish.
4. Melt remaining butter and fry the chicken until pale golden brown. Transfer to the casserole dish.
5. Stir stock and wine into the pan juices. Bring to the boil stirring. Add salt and pepper and mixed herbs. Pour into the baking dish, stir, and cover with a lid.
6. Cook in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir in the cream. Cover and cook for a further 15 minutes or so.
7. Serve with rice and a green salad and a nice bottle of riesling!

 
Enjoy!