Country chicken gratin

1. Preheat oven to 190°C fan bake/ 200°C regular.

2. Peel potatoes and chop into 3-4cm pieces. Boil in salted water until tender, drain well and mash finely with a vegetable masher or fork, then add a little milk and optional butter and continue to mash until fluffy. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. While potatoes are cooking, peel and finely dice onion. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large pot and cook onion over medium heat until softened without browning, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes.

4. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces (2-4cm) and season with salt and pepper. If using pre-diced chicken, you will not need to cut it up. Add to the onions, along with Annabel’s Go to Country Herb Sauce, 1 cup milk, 1 tsp salt and several grinds black pepper. Bring to a simmer and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring now and then.

5. Drain and rinse beans and add to chicken and sauce, stir to combine.

6. Transfer to a baking dish. Dish can be prepared ahead to this point and chilled until ready to bake. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking.

7. Combine 1 cup of panko crumbs with remaining 2 tbsp oil in a separate bowl, and sprinkle evenly over the top of the creamy chicken. Bake until bubbling and golden, about 20 minutes, or 25-30 minutes if the dish has been chilled in the fridge. If preparing the dish in advance, don’t boil the potatoes until you are ready to bake the chicken.

To Serve:

• Divide the mash between four plates and spoon the gratin to the side. If desired, serve with a side salad. Enjoy!

Optional:

• If using a leek or some spring onions, wash and thinly slice and add to cook with onion at the start.