12 baby chestnut mushrooms – sliced in half (you can swap for button mushrooms or 5–6 regular-sized sliced mushrooms)
1 large onion – peeled and sliced
2 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
280ml (1 cup + 3 tbsp) hot chicken stock – hot water and a couple of stock cubes are fine
200ml (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) semi-skimmed or full-fat milk
½ tsp dried thyme – or a tsp of fresh thyme leaves
2 tbsp dry sherry – *carefully measured (too much will make the sauce taste like sherry)
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 large cooked chicken breasts – chopped into bite-sized chunks (about 250g)
To Serve
Chopped fresh parsley
Boiled rice or pasta
Instructions
Heat 1 ½ tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan/skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the chopped mushrooms and cook for about 3-4 minutes until the mushrooms are golden brown. Scoop out of the pan, and put in a bowl.
Heat the remaining 1 ½ tbsp of oil in the pan and add the onion. Fry for 5-6 minutes on medium-high heat until the edges of the onion wedges start to brown slightly. Move the onions around the pan to ensure they don’t burn.
Stir in the 2 tbsp of flour and cook whilst stirring for one minute.
Add in a splash of the hot stock and mix into the onion/flour with a whisk. It should form a thick paste. Add the rest of the stock a large splash at a time, and keep stirring with the whisk to ensure your sauce doesn’t go lumpy.
Once all the stock is incorporated, add in 200ml (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) milk and ½ tsp thyme. Keep stirring and the sauce will thicken as it heats up.
Once thickened, add the 2 level tablespoons of sherry and the ¼ tsp each of salt and pepper. Give it a taste and add a little more seasoning if needed.
Add the cooked chicken and mushrooms and stir. Cook for a couple of minutes to ensure the chicken is hot throughout.
Serve on top of some fluffy white rice and finish with a sprinkling of parsley.
