Chicken, Bacon & Leek Gratin

• 600 gchicken thighs, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 40 gplain flour
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 300 gleeks (about 3), thinly sliced
• 1 tspdried thyme
• 2garlic cloves, crushed
• 400 mlmilk, warmed
• 150 mldouble cream
• 40 gbutter
• 150 gsmoked streaky bacon, cut into lardons
• 1 tbspDijon mustard
• 1 tbspolive oil
• 150 gmature cheddar, grated
• 50 gParmesan, finely grated
• 1lemon, zest and juice

Method

1. 1Heat the oven to 200°C fan (220°C conventional). Blot the chicken well.
2. 2Fry the bacon lardons in a large frying pan over medium heat for 4–5 minutes until deeply crisp and the fat has rendered into a glossy slick. Lift out with a slotted spoon, leaving the smoky fat behind; that's flavour you've already built.
3. 3Drop the butter into the same pan and add the leeks. Cook over medium heat for 6–8 minutes, stirring often, until silky and sweet but not coloured. Add the crushed garlic and stir for 30 seconds, just until aromatic.
4. 4Tip in the chicken in two batches; crowd the pan and the meat will steam in its own juices instead of catching gold at the edges. Cook each batch for 4–5 minutes until lightly golden, then return all the chicken to the pan together.
5. 5Scatter over the flour and stir for a full minute to cook out the raw, pasty taste. Whisk in the warm milk a splash at a time; patience here is what gives you a glossy sauce instead of lumps; then pour in the cream. Stir in the Dijon and thyme and simmer for 3–4 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon and clings to the chicken.
6. 6Return the bacon to the pan and stir in the lemon zest. Taste before adding more salt because the bacon and Parmesan are already salty. Tip everything into a shallow ovenproof dish, scatter the cheddar and Parmesan evenly over the top, and drizzle with the olive oil.
7. 7Bake for 20–25 minutes until the top is deeply golden and crisp, the edges bronzed, and the sauce bubbling fiercely up the sides.
8. 8Rest for 5 minutes so the gratin firms slightly. Finish with a squeeze of the listed lemon juice to taste.

Per serving

kcal

583

protein

37.8g

fibre

1.9g

carbs

13.1g

fat

41.6g