Last week, Daily Focus reported that the National Forest Adventure Farm, in Tatenhill, is working to create a more sustainable food model, boosting the local economy by supporting local producers.
Here, David Ellement, the farm park’s new Senior Food and Beverage Manager, unveils a new Spring recipe.
Spring chicken and vegetable casserole
Ingredients
600g Chicken thigh
75g smoked bacon lardons
500g new potatoes (halved)
100g leeks (sliced)
100g peas
100g kale (sliced)
200g carrots (diced)
2 garlic cloves (chopped)
5g thyme (chopped)
Zest of half a lemon
450ml chicken stock
150g double cream
Method
- In a heavy bottomed pan fry off the bacon lardons until crisp then remove from the heat and set aside. Using the same pan, brown the chicken thighs on all sides and set these aside also.
- Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to the same pan and then the leeks and carrots along with the garlic and cook these out on a medium heat for 4-5 mins or until the leeks begin to soften, once this happens add in your chicken stock making sure to get a spatula in there to get all that flavour off the base of the pan!
- Add the new potatoes, chicken and bacon back in and cook on simmer for around 20 mins until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are soft to the knife.
- For the final flourish add the kale and peas along with the chopped thyme, lemon zest and the cream and cook for a further 3-4 mins until peas are softened.
This dish works well just in the middle of the table with a ladle and the whole family helping themselves, and as bread makes all things better a nice chunk of sourdough to mop up the sauce!
