CHICKEN WITH CREAMY MUSHROOMS & ROSTI

Chicken with Creamy Mushrooms & Rosti

So the saga of the missing oven continues...

After waiting three weeks for the new fan motor to arrive from Kuala Lumpur, and staring wistfully at the big square hole in the wall where my oven used to live, I was informed on Friday that head office sent the wrong part.

(Insert lots of swear words here!)

Pic of correct part, as well as repeat of oven model, have now been sent to dodos in KL.

Patience is a virtue. Patience is a virtue. Patience is a virtue.

But the good news is that I made this, sans oven, on the cooktop and it was delicious. Fattening? You bet, but honestly, who cares!

INGREDIENTS for 2

SUCCULENT CHICKEN

6 little chicken fillets, gently pounded flat

1/2 tsp sea salt flakes

freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup plain flour

15g/1 tbsp butter

splash of olive oil

MUSHROOM SAUCE

30g/2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 punnet Swiss Brown or button mushrooms, peeled and sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup chicken or veg stiock

1 cup thick pouring cream

3 tbsp grated Parmesan

ROSTI

2 large potatoes

1/2 tsp sea salt flakes

freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp unsalted butter

METHOD

CHICKEN AND MUSHROOM SAUCE

Lay your chicken fillets on a plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and dust both sides with the flour.

Put butter and olive oil into a fry pan, melt over medium heat and, when sizzling, add chicken fillets. Pan fry gently on each side for about 3 minutes or until golden. Remove from frying pan and set aside on absorbent kitchen paper. Turn up heat.

Add mushrooms to same pan with the added butter.

Cook until fragrant and golden around the edges.

Add the minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute.

Add the white wine and reduce liquid.

Add the stock and reduce liquid again.

Stir in cream and Parmesan and then add the cooked chicken fillets.

ROSTI

Peel the potatoes and, using the coarse side of a box grater, grate potatoes on to a plate.

Grab a handful and squeeze out as much liquid as you can over the sink. Repeat until all grated potato is done. Place in a bowl. add salt and pepper.

In a separate frying pan, get olive oil and butter to sizzling point. Plonk a ball of the grated potato into the fat. moosh down with a potato masher or flat spatula. Repeat until you have 4 or five grated potato "pancakes". When they are crisp and golden on the underside, flip and crisp the other side.. Drain on absorbent kitchen paper and serve with mushroomy chicken.

Some snipped chives would be lovely over the top for added crunch and colour. (I didn't have any but it still tasted great!)