Tony's Chicken Casserole

When I was growing up, anything with scones on top was a treat, whether it was a savoury casserole or a pud - it did nae matter, you just had this tasty topping that soaked up the lovely juices of what lay beneath. This one is no exception.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

• Salt and pepper

• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil

• 200g cooking chorizo, broken into nuggets

• 24 button onions

• 4 garlic cloves, crushed

• 2 celery sticks, thinly sliced

• 150g button mushrooms, stalks removed

• 150g fresh or frozen baby carrots

• 1 leek, trimmed and cut into 2cm slices

• 400g cherry tomatoes

• 4 bay leaves

• bunch of fresh thyme, tied with string

• 500ml chicken or vegetable stock

• 1 tbsp cornflour dissolved in 2 tbsp cold water

Scone Topping Ingredients

• 110ml buttermilk

• 1 egg

• 20g sage, chopped

• 175g self-raising flour

• ½ tsp cayenne pepper

• good pinch of sea salt

• 50g unsalted butter, diced

• 100g mature Cheddar, grated

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas 6.

2. Trim the chicken thighs off any fatty bits and cut each one in half. Season well with salt and pepper.

3. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof casserole over a medium heat. Fy the chicken, in batches, until lightly browned all over then remove from the casserole.

4. Put the casserole back on the heat and fry the chorizo, then add the onions, garlic and celery. Cook for 4-5 minutes over a medium-high heat, stirring regulary, until lightly coloured. Add the mushrooms and cook for 1 minute more, stirring.

5. Return the chicken to the pot along with the carrots, leek, tomatoes, bay, thyme and stock. Season and bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 30 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, make the topping. In a bowl, mix the buttermilk with the egg and sage in a separate bowl, sift together the flour and cayenne pepper. Stir in the salt until everything is well mixed, then use your fingers to rub the butter in until it's all crumbly. Gently mix in the cheese, then gradually add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients, mixing first with a knife then with your hands to make a soft dough. If it seems a little dry, add another ½ tablespoon of buttermilk, or enough to make a soft, smooth dough that will leave the bowl clean.

7. Roll out the dough as evenly as possible, to around 2 5cm thick-noless than this otherwise the scones won't rise well. Using a 7cm fluted cutter, stamp out the scones. Gently re-roll the dough and stamp out additional scones to use it all up.

8. Remove the casserole from the oven, check the seasoning then adjust the thickness of the sauce with the cornflour and water. Now cover the top of the casserole with the scones. Pop back into the hot oven and cook till the scones are golden brown and cooked through - about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!! And make sure to tag @McTSingh in photos of your Casserole on social media! 📷