Chicken and clam tomato casserole recipe by Gottfried Mocke served with couscous and paired with Cape Chamonix Pinot Noir Reserve wine.
Ingredients
8-10 free-range chicken thighs and drumsticks
juice of 2 lemons
salt and freshly ground black pepper
75 g butter
45 ml olive oil
30 ml cake flour
1 x 400 g tin cream of tomato soup
125 ml red wine ('I recommend Cape Chamonix Pinot Noir!')
175 ml fresh cream ('I use crème fraîche)
250 ml fresh clams (or standard tin, drained)
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
200 g fresh wild mushrooms, sliced
a handful of chopped fresh parsley
Recipe
Serves 4-6
Place the chicken pieces in a flat dish, pour over the lemon juice (and a bit of olive oil) and marinate for 1 hour in the fridge. Season with salt.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt 25 g of the butter and add olive oil. When heated, brown the chicken pieces in batches. Remove from the pan and set aside.
In the same pan add the remaining butter and flour, stir in the tomato soup and bring the mixture to boil. Add red wine, judging quantity sufficient to make a thick sauce. Simmer and add salt, pepper, and cream, stirring continuously. The finished sauce must be thick and velvety (adjust if necessary with a dash of extra red wine).
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
In an ovenproof casserole dish with a lid, place half the chicken pieces, pour over half the sauce, add half the clams, half the rosemary, and half the fresh mushrooms. Repeat with a second layer.
Cover the casserole and place in the oven for 45-60 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with couscous and a fresh green leaf salad.
Wine Pairing
Cape Chamonix Pinot Noir Reserve