Ingredients

• 1kg/2lb 4 oz butter
• 10 onions
• chopped
• 2.25kg/5lb closed cup mushrooms
• sliced
• 200g/7oz flour
• 2.8 litres/5 pints milk
• 2.8 litres/5 pints chicken stock
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2.7kg/6lb chicken - cut into 2.5cm/1in cubes
• 10 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• plus extra to garnish

Directions

• Melt 100g/4oz of the butter in a very large frying pan and fry the pieces of chicken until golden-brown. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large plate. You will need to do this in batches.
• In the same pan
• melt 200g/8oz of butter and fry the onion gently until soft but not browned. Add half the mushrooms to the pan
• fry for 2-3 minutes until just cooked
• and then drain off the excess fat and set aside. Repeat with another 200g/8oz of butter and the remaining mushrooms.
• Melt the remaining butter in a large saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook for one minute
• stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the milk and the stock. Return to the heat and bring to the boil
• stirring continuously.
• Season the sauce with salt and pepper and stir in the chicken pieces
• parsley
• mushrooms and onions. Cook for 3-4 minutes then remove from the heat.
• Sprinkle with a little fresh parsley and serve with new potatoes and vegetables of your choice