Ingredients

• 125g/4½oz plain flour
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 7.5kg /9lb 13oz chicken thighs
• skinned and bone removed and cut into 3cm pieces
• 150ml/5fl oz sunflower oil
• 875g/1lb 15oz button mushrooms
• 5 onions
• sliced
• 2.8 litres/5 pints chicken stock
• 150ml/5fl oz tomato purée
• 25g/1oz fresh tarragon
• half left as sprigs
• half finely chopped
• 5 x 400g/14oz tins chopped tomatoes
• small bunch curly parsley
• finely chopped

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
• Place the flour into a bowl and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour
• shaking off any excess.
• Heat a large
• deep frying pan and add the oil. Fry the chicken pieces skin-side down for 1-2 minutes until golden-brown
• turn over and brown on the other side. Remove the chicken from the pans and set aside.
• Add a little more oil if the pans are dry then add the mushrooms and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the onion and cook for a further five minutes.
• Place the chicken back in the pans and add the stock
• tomato purée
• whole tarragon sprigs and tomatoes. Bring to the boil and transfer the chicken to ovenproof dishes. Cover with aluminium foil and place in the oven for 45 minutes
• or until the chicken is cooked through.
• Adjust the seasoning if necessary then add the parsley and the chopped tarragon.