Stews are the perfect hearty dish to keep you warm in the wintertime, and this hearty dinner can be made in no time.
Chicken and asparagus fricassée may sound fancy, but this traditional French stew is actually very simple to make in only 30 minutes.
This recipe was created by Britain’s Bake-Off legend Mary Berry, who described the dish as: “A speedy French-inspired stew with fresh herbs and that king of green vegetables – asparagus.”
This dinner idea was first shared by Mary in her cookbook ‘Mary Berry’s Quick Cooking” and is perfect as a winter comfort food dish.
This creamy dinner is perfect as a family meal which can help you save time on cooking during the week, plus is cooked using only a frying pan and a pot, making the washing up much easier.
READ MORE: Mary Berry’s ‘comforting’ one-pot sausage stew is the perfect midweek recipe
How to make Mary Berry’s French-inspired chicken stew in 30 minutes
Ingredients
- Four skinless and boneless chicken breasts or chicken mini fillets
- 250g of mushrooms
- 200g of asparagus spears
- One small leek
- One garlic clove
- 150ml of white wine
- 150ml of double cream
- One tablespoon of mint leaves
- One tablespoon of basil
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Chicken mini fillets can be used as an alternative in his recipe to save more time as they cook quickly and do not need to be shopped up. You could also cook the chicken breast whole if you prefer, but they take longer to cook.
Oyster mushrooms are also highly recommended for this recipe to retain its “charm” but other alternatives can be used as well. Mary wrote: “If they’re not available, another exotic mushroom such as shiitake, will work well, as will standard closed-cup or chestnut mushrooms.”
Instructions
To begin, prepare your ingredients. Half your mushrooms, slice your chicken into thick pieces (if cooking with chicken breasts), chop up the leek, crush the garlic, and slice up the asparagus stalks into rounds, keeping the tips reserved.
Place the frying pan on the stove and heat one tablespoon of olive oil. Add the mushrooms to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook for three to four minutes until golden. Once ready, remove from the pan and set aside.
Heat another tablespoon of oil in the pan, season your chicken, and cook it on a medium-high heat in the pan for four to six minutes until fully cooked. Once ready, remove from the heat and set aside.
Add another tablespoon of olive and cook the leek for three to five minutes until softened. Add the garlic to the leek and let it fry for 30 seconds.
Pour in the wine and let it boil for two to three minutes until the liquid has reduced by half. Then, stir in the cream and cook for around a minute until you have a thin sauce.
Add your chicken and mushroom pieces to the pan and let it simmer for a few minutes until heated and everything is fully cooked through.
While the stew is simmering, cook your asparagus in boiling salted water for two to three minutes, then drain and add to the stew.
Season the stew with the mint and basil leaves.
Your mouth-watering stew is now ready to be served. Mary recommends serving the stew with baby potatoes or rice.
