Chicken Parmentier

Ingredients

• 3 1/4 lbpotatoes, peeled, for mash
• 2 tbspbutter, for the mashed potato topping
• 5 tbspheavy cream, for the mashed potato topping
• 2egg yolks, for enriching the mash
• 2 tbspbutter, for the filling
• 7shallots
• 3carrots, chopped
• 2celery, sticks
• 1 clovegarlic, finely chopped
• 4 tbspwhite wine
• 1 tbsptomato paste
• 14 ozcanned tomatoes, chopped
• 1 1/2 cupschicken stock
• 1 1/3 lbchicken, cooked and shredded
• 16black olives, pitted
• 2 tbspparsley, fresh, chopped
• 1/2 cupgruyère cheese, grated, for the topping

Method

1. 1

   Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain thoroughly, then push through a potato ricer or mash well. Stir in 30g butter, 5 tablespoons of cream, and the egg yolks. Season and set aside.

2. 2

   Melt 30g of butter in a large pan. Add the shallots, carrots, and celery and gently fry until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

3. 3

   Pour in the white wine and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste, chopped canned tomatoes, and stock. Cook for 10–15 minutes until the sauce thickens.

4. 4

   Stir in the shredded chicken, olives, and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. 5

   Preheat the oven to 350°F/325°F fan/Gas 4.

6. 6

   Pour the filling into a 20×30cm ovenproof dish. Spoon and spread the mashed potato evenly over the top. Grate over the Gruyère.

7. 7

   Bake for 30–35 minutes, until steaming hot and the potato topping is golden-brown.