Chicken and mushroom casserole with celeriac mash

Serves: 6
Course: Main Course
Cooking Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

  • 900g chicken thighs (6 thigh pieces)
  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • 3 cloves garlic, bruised
  • 250g mushrooms, sliced
  • 500ml stock
  • Sea salt
  • 200g frozen peas
  • 3 tbsp dill, finely chopped
  • 2 celeriac
  • Butter

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Heat a heavy based frying pan.

Remove any excess skin from the chicken pieces. Place each piece of chicken, skin side down, on the dry pan. Leave to sizzle and sear until they have turned lightly golden.

Place the chicken in an oven-proof lidded pot or casserole dish. Pour some of the 500ml water into the frying pan to deglaze. Add this and the remaining water to the pot along with a generous seasoning of salt and black pepper. Add the juice of two lemons and three bruised garlic cloves. Place the lid on the pot and cook in the oven for an hour and a half. You can check it half way through.

After the full 90 minutes the chicken should be ready to fall off the bone. Remove the chicken pieces and leave on a plate till cool enough to handle. Take all of the meat from the bones and return to the pot. Add the frozen peas and a 2tbsp dill. Taste the sauce for seasoning. Replace the lid and put back in the oven to cook the peas, a further two minutes should do.

If you’re preparing this ahead then add the peas and dill when you are reheating the casserole.

For the celeriac mash remove the tough outer skin using a heavy sharp knife. Dice the celeriac and place in a large pan with enough water to cover. Season with a little salt and simmer for 12-15 minutes till done. Drain very well in a colander. The celeriac tends to absorb a lot of water. Blitz the celeriac with a large tablespoon of butter till smooth and creamy. Serve with the chicken casserole in bowls with some fresh dill on top.

Lilly Higgins

Lilly Higgins

Lilly Higgins, a contributor to The Irish Times, is a food writer