Put more spuds on - an impromptu supper

My family are Kings at the impromptu supper.  Living in close proximity to an underground and mainline train station and the centre of town meant a constant stream of friends and family popping in when we were kids.  My mum was the Queen of meat and two veg cooking and the amount of times my sister and I ended up sharing a chop and pile of spuds to accommodate the extra mouths at the meal table.

I often find myself doing the same in my house, whether for toddlers, friends or family, we always try and whip something up! The night we cooked Nigel's Chicken with Soured Cream and Gherkins (pages 148 - 150 of the Volume III Kitchen Diaries, no picture) was a prime example when my lovely neighbour and partner in crime popped in and ended up staying for supper! Queue another leg thrown in the pot!

Before I continue, I should point out the value you get for buying this book!! There are tonnes of extra seasonal recipes which do not actually form part of Nigel's diary.  Meaning in the book, there are over 250 recipes!  I have cooked some of these but I am not going to blog about them.  These are great supper ideas and the recipes are easy to follow.  Ok, enough gushing about how much I love this book ! Link here:  the-kitchen-diaries-volume-iii-_bk_36

Ok, so onto the recipe in hand! I am excited by this recipe as I LOVE a pickle and a gherkin is right up my street.  I was the kid that used to eat all the ones the other kids picked out of their hamburgers!

I started preparing this supper for my husband and I, but when my friend Angela popped in, another leg was thrown in:

The colours are great with the pinky tinge of the banana shallots and the bright green gherkins.  Towards the end of cooking you dollop in the soured cream.  Be sure to turn the heat right down and remove from the heat at the point your stir in the soured cream to avoid it curdling.  I once served a stroganoff with a sauce the texture of frog spawn.

As Nigel suggests, I served with brown rice and I cheated with one of those microwave bags which for a midweek supper was ideal:

This is a great midweek dinner!  It is absolutely delicious.  The softness of the chicken, the crunch and piquancy of the gherkins with a lovely creamy sauce.  I think if I cooked this again I would use skinless thighs.  No matter how much you crisp up the skins they always go soggy.  Further I find a chicken leg in a sauce a tricky thing to eat without either wearing half the sauce or looking like some sort of caveman.  Neither a good look for a slummy mummy ; )

JanieCooksNigel

20/5/16