This Hungarian recipe is traditionally made with a Balatan wine called Badacsonyi Kekryalii (Blue Handled) which had a full body and distinctive taste. Unfortunately, it’s a bit tough to get hold of Hungarian wine in the UK and I decided to substitute the wine with a dry white and thankfully, due to the wonders of Waitrose, I did managed to get hold of a Hungarian bottle, albeit not Badacsonyi Kekryalii. To find out more about the wine go to Eva’s Wine.
Chicken in Badacsonyi Wine
Ingredients
50g butter
4 spring onions
115g rindless smoked bacon, diced
2 bay leaves
Tarragon
1.5kg cornfed chicken
50ml / 4tbsp sweet sherry or mead
115g button mushrooms sliced
300ml dry white wine
Instructions
Heat the butter in a large flameproof pan
Sweat the chopped spring onions for 2 minutes
Add the bacon, bay leaves and a sprig of tarragon (leaves stripped from the stem)
Cook for 1 minute
Add the whole chicken
Pour the sweet sherry or mead over the chicken
Cover and cook over a very low heat for 15 minutes
Sprinkle the mushrooms into the pan and pour in the wine
Cook covered for 1 hour
Remove the lid, baste the chicken with the wine and cook, uncovered for 30 minutes
Season to taste
Remove chicken from pan and place on platter
Surround with mushrooms, bacon etc. and garnish with tarragon
Serve sauce separately and with a side of steamed rice
