Chicken Vol-Au-Vent With Chips And Salad

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7, then before you start cooking, take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air

Dust your work surface with a generous sprinkling of flour

Unwrap your puff pastry and roll it out to approx. 0.5cm thickness with a rolling pin, then using a small bowl as a guide, cut the rolled pastry into 1 circle per person

Add the pastry circle[s] to a baking paper-lined baking tray (or two!) and score a 1cm border around the edge of the pastry with a knife, then score the pastry circle[s] inside the border in a criss-cross pattern

Put the tray[s] in the oven for 15 min or until puffed up, golden and cooked through

Once cooked, set aside – this is your vol-au-vent

Cut your potatoes (skins on) into chips

Add the chips to a baking tray (or two!) with a drizzle of vegetable oil and a pinch of salt and pepper

Give everything a good mix up and put the tray[s] in the oven for 20-25 min or until golden and crisp

Boil a kettle

Peel and dice your brown onion[s] finely

Top, tail, peel and dice your carrot[s] finely

Slice your baby button mushrooms finely

Peel and finely chop (or grate) your garlic

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick), over a high heat with a drizzle of vegetable oil

Once hot, add your diced chicken thigh to the pan with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for 3-4 min or until lightly browned

Meanwhile, combine 100ml [150ml] [200ml] milk and 200ml [260ml] [340ml] boiled water in a measuring jug with your Marmite and chicken stock mix – this is your marmite stock

Once the chicken has browned, add your diced onion, diced carrot and sliced mushrooms and cook for 3-4 min or until beginning to soften

Once softened, add the chopped garlic and your bay leaf[ves] with 1 tbsp [1 1/2 tbsp] [2 tbsp] flour and cook for 1 min or until fragrant

Once fragrant, add the marmite stock with a generous grind of pepper and cook for 8-10 min or until thickened – this is your chicken stew

Wash your salad, then pat it dry with kitchen paper

Add the salad to a bowl with your white wine vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil

Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and toss – this is your dressed salad