Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, skinned and halved lengthways
150ml/5fl oz dry port wine
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
salt and pepper to taste
240ml/8fl oz chicken stock
25g/1oz dried mushrooms (mixture of porcini, morels, chanterelles), washed
55g/2oz butter
1 tbsp shallots, peeled and finely chopped
100g/3½oz fresh chestnut mushrooms, sliced
90ml/3fl oz double cream
Method
1. Place the chicken in 75ml/2½fl oz of the port wine, garlic and 1ml/¼tsp salt. Leave to marinate.
2. Bring the chicken stock to the boil and simmer to reduce it by 10%.
3. Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl and add the hot stock. Allow to stand for 1 hour.
4. Drain the dried mushrooms and slice. Reserve the stock liquid.
5. Melt the butter in a pan and add the shallots. sauté gently until transparent.
6. Add the fresh and the dried mushrooms to the shallots and sauté for several minutes.
7. Add the reserved stock, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes.
8. Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3.
9. Add the cream and remaining port and reduce further by simmering for approximately 5 minutes.
10. Spoon the mushrooms and shallots into a shallow casserole dish and place the chicken breasts on top.
11. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the casserole with silver foil and bake in the oven for approximately 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked. Serve with tagliolini pasta and uncooked baby spinach.
