Chicken Alexander Recipe
PREP: 10 MINUTES COOK: 30-40 MINUTES SERVES 4
Chicken in a silky, cream and wine sauce with sweet peppers, mushrooms and fresh herbs. Back in 1997, when Dale created our first menu, he insisted on including Chicken à la King – a 1970s dinner-party staple. But it was the era of Cool Britannia and no one wanted reminding of just how uncool Britain had been in the 1970s. It flopped. The recipe, however, was too good to let go, so we gave it a new name – one of Dale’s middle names, in fact – and Chicken Alexander was born. We’re saving Dale’s other middle name, Colchester, for a real emergency. If you’re going to batch and freeze, leave out the lemon juice, herbs and Parmesan and add them after reheating.
Ingredients:
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2 tablespoons rapeseed oil
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2–3 chicken breasts, total weight 400g (14oz), diced
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30g (1oz) unsalted butter
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1 onion, finely sliced
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½ red pepper, cored, deseeded and finely sliced
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½ yellow pepper, cored, deseeded and finely sliced
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100g (3½oz) chestnut mushrooms, trimmed and finely sliced
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30ml (2 tablespoons) sherry
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100ml (3½fl oz) dry white wine
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300ml (10fl oz) good chicken stock
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1 tablespoon cornflour
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150ml (5fl oz) double cream
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2 tablespoons lemon juice
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salt and pepper
To Serve
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1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley
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2 tablespoons chopped chives
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grated Parmesan cheese
Method:
STEP 1: Heat the oil in a large nonstick frying pan on a medium–high heat.
STEP 2: Once hot, add the diced chicken, season, then brown on all sides until lightly golden – this will takeabout 5 minutes.
STEP 3: Remove the chicken from the pan and place in a bowl to one side.
STEP 4: In the same frying pan, melt the butter, then add the onion and fry on a medium heat for 5–10 minutes until translucent.
STEP 5: Add the peppers and mushrooms and fry for a further 5–10 minutes or until the mushrooms are turning golden.
STEP 6: Add the sherry and white wine and cook until reduced by half. Add the chicken stock.
STEP 7: Place the cornflour in a small bowl and, using a spoon, mix in a little of the cooking liquid to make a paste.
STEP 8: Add the paste to the pan and cook for a further 5 minutes, or until the sauce has slightly thickened.
STEP 9: Return the chicken to the pan, reduce the heat to medium–low, bring to a simmer, then cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until the chicken is cooked through.
STEP 10: Stir in the double cream and heat through for a couple of minutes. Season to taste and stir in the lemon juice.
STEP 11: Scatter over the chopped herbs and a little grated Parmesan, then serve.
What to serve with Chicken Alexander:
Pretty much anything goes with this. Try rice or potatoes with something vibrant and green, like steamed, buttered sugar snap peas.
Or stir through some cooked pappardelle or linguine pasta (mix in a splash of the pasta water for a really silky sauce), garnish with pea shoots or salad leaves, and sprinkle with extra grated Parmesan.