This is a really tasty and healthy dish originating from Bulgaria. It’s super quick and requires few dishes so the washing up is limited! The chicken is smothered in a rich, herby sauce. Serve the chicken with rice to mop up all the wonderful juices.
Varna Chicken
Ingredients (serves 8 people)
1.75kg / 4lb chicken pieces on the bone (thighs, drumsticks etc.)
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
40g butter
3 tbsp vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves
2 white onions
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Basil and thyme leaves to garnish
Freshly cooked white rice to serve
For the sauce
120ml dry sherry
3 tbsp tomato puree
A few fresh basil leaves
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
Generous pinch of granulated sugar
1 tsp mild mustard
400g / 1 can of chopped tomatoes
225g button mushrooms, sliced
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C / Gas mark 4
Season the chicken with salt, pepper and thyme
In a large frying pan cook the chicken in the butter and oil
When golden brown, remove the chicken and place in an ovenproof casserole dish
Add the garlic and onion to the frying pan and cook for 3 minutes
For the sauce, mix the sherry, tomato puree, salt, pepper, basil, vinegar and sugar in a bowl
Pour the sauce into the frying pan and bring to the boil
Reduce the heat and add the mushrooms
Cook for 3 minutes
Pour the sauce over the chicken
Bake in the oven for 45 minutes
Serve on a bed of rice, garnished with basil and thyme
Varna Chicken
Thanks so much for posting this. We are always looking for easy, tasty meals to cook. We recently moved to Bulgaria from Slovenia, and Varna is one of our cities here. We’ll try Varna Chicken soon!
Thanks! I try to make most of the recipes on the site easy, cheap meals suitable for families and those with a lack of time. Or at least if it isn’t I expressly say it’s a party piece!
Thanks so much for checking out the site. Hope to continue to inspire you