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Comforting casseroles

22 Aug 2012

It is the time of year when mornings are slightly chilled and evenings are darker and colder and it is definitely time to think of soups, stews and steaming puddings. It is without a doubt my favourite time of the year and I love waking up when it is still dark and I can watch the sun rise from my office window. It is also the time of day when I quickly think of dinnertime and what to cook for my family. While I sit with my hands around a cup of java, it is very hard not to think comfort food like a hearty casserole that can be a meal in one and needs little else, other than steaming rice or creamy mashed potato.

I am also extremely busy at the moment and I find it really helps me to prep my casserole and leave it in the fridge and around five-ish, I just pop it in the oven and by six o'clock we can eat.

When making casseroles, there are, in my opinion, two golden rules:
1. Always dust your meat in flour - it helps thicken the sauce and prevents your sauce from being watery.
2. Don't add too much water to the casserole, usually meat, when covered, creates its own moisture and that is sufficient to make a really good gravy.

I also do my chicken casseroles in the week, because of time constraints, but over the weekend, when everything slows down, it is time to pull out the big guns, like oxtail and mutton casseroles.

The Fruity Chicken Casserole is my take on an old classic and some people call it Mayonnaise Chicken while others call it Chutney Chicken. One of my readers even said that her little ones call it "chutney chicken"! I hope you like it!

Fruity Chicken Bake (serves four)

Ingredients

Eight free-range chicken pieces. I use drumsticks and thighs
125 ml flour
salt/pepper
200 ml good quality mayonnaise
200 ml chutney. Mrs Balls or Wellingtons - you want a chunky one
125 ml golden sultanas
Eight small onions - the ones they use for pickling
100 ml sweet wine - I used Muscadel

Method

Preheat oven to 170C. Clean chicken and season with salt and pepper. Place all the chicken pieces in a plastic bag and add the flour. Toss the chicken pieces in the bag until all the pieces are evenly coated with flour. Place chicken in an ovenproof casserole. Mix the chutney, mayo and sweet wine and pour over the chicken. Place onions in a glass bowl and cover with boiling water. Allow to stand for a few minutes, it helps to remove the skin without cutting the bottom part of the onions (the onions must stay whole during baking). Place the peeled onions in-between the chicken pieces. Scatter the sultanas over the top and bake uncovered in the preheated oven for about one hour. If you feel that your oven is too hot and the sauce is burning, turn down the heat and just bake for a while longer. Serve on rice or mashed potatoes with some sweet baby peas or a salad if you prefer.

More easy casseroles for you to try

www.my-easy-cooking.com

About Nina Timm

I am the owner and sole editor of the 2012 Eat Out Award-winning blog, My Easy Cooking. I cook, I style and I photograph every single day of my life. I run a cooking school for groups such as team building, birthday parties, friendship groups, domestic workers and children.