This recipe has its origin in my mother-in-law’s kitchen. It is known as a “moerby-gereg” in their house. It can be presented as a main dish with great love and success, or it can be divided into smaller portions for youngsters. We call these “mamma bakkies”.
SERVES 6
1 medium Henwil chicken
4–6 cloves
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
250 g mushrooms, sliced
200 g bacon, diced
400 ml tin cream of chicken soup (All Gold is best)
120 g (1 large packet) cheese & onion potato chips, crushed
1¾ cup cheddar, grated
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tomato, peeled and diced
To cook the chicken, place it in a large pot with the cloves, salt and pepper. Cover with cold water and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked. This will take 45–75 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion, mushrooms and bacon.
When the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the pot and shred it with two forks. Save the cooking water for later.
Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a baking dish.
In a large bowl, mix the shredded chicken and fried onion mixture. Add the soup, ⅓ of the crushed chips, 1 cup of the cheese, the mayonnaise, the tomato and a splash of the cooking water to loosen the mixture. Mix to combine.
Transfer to the baking dish. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and then the remaining chips. Place the dish in the oven, uncovered, and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the casserole is heated through and the cheese is melted.
WINE PAIRING Haute Cabrière Chardonnay Pinot Noir
RECIPE SPONSORED BY National Chix
