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Words by Theo Randal. Photo by Lizzie Mayson.
Chicken thighs are tender, inexpensive and really easy to cook. I like to use the ones with the skin on as it keeps the flesh juicy and tender, and the skin adds lots of flavour. Leeks and porcini mushrooms go really well together – I first had this combination in a restaurant called Da Cesare in Monforte d’Alba. The restaurant is sadly no longer but the memories of eating the brilliant food cooked by Cesare live on.
The Italian Pantry by Theo Randall is available to order now.
Slow-Cooked Chicken Thighs with Porcini Mushrooms and Marsala
Ingredients
- plain, all-purpose flour, for dusting
- 8 bone-in chicken thighs, skin on, seasoned with salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 50 g (1¾oz) pancetta, chopped
- ½ garlic clove, crushed
- 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
- 2 portobello mushrooms, sliced
- 20 g (¾oz) dried porcini mushrooms, just covered in boiling water and left to soak
- 2 leeks, finely sliced
- 75 ml (2¼fl oz) sweet marsala
- 75 g (2½oz) mascarpone
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas 6.
- Tip a few tablespoons of the flour on to a large plate and roll the chicken thighs in the flour so that they are nicely coated.
- Heat the olive oil in large, heavy-based casserole pan over a medium heat. When hot, add the floured thighs skin-side down and cook them until the skin has a golden colour (about 4 minutes). Turn the thighs over and seal the other side for about 2 minutes. Then, remove the thighs from the pan and leave them to one side.
- Wipe the dish clean with some kitchen paper then add the pancetta. Cook it for 2 minutes to release the fat, then add the garlic, thyme and portobello mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, drain the porcini, reserving the soaking water, and finely chop them. Add the chopped porcini to the pan with the soaking water, along with the leeks, and cook for a further 5 minutes to soften.
- Stir through the marsala and the mascarpone, then season with salt and pepper.
- Place the chicken thighs back into the casserole, skin-side up, on top of the other ingredients. Cover the pan with a lid and transfer it to the oven. Bake the thighs for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and cook for a further 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is crisp.
- Serve with creamy wet polenta, flavoured with butter and parmesan, or buttery mashed potatoes.
The Italian Pantry by Theo Randall (Quadrille, £26), Photography © Lizzie Mayson