Creamy Free Range Chicken Thigh & Mushroom Stroganoff

Before you start cooking, take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air

Boil a kettle

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

Once hot, add your free range chicken thighs with a pinch of salt and cook for an initial 3 min on each side or until starting to brown

Meanwhile, peel and finely slice your red onion[s]

Peel and finely chop (or grate) your garlic

Cut your chestnut mushrooms into quarters

Strip your thyme leaves from their stems and chop them finely, discard the stems

Once the chicken has browned, add the sliced onion and mushroom quarters to the pan with a splash of cold water and cover with a lid

Cook for 10 min further or until the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!)

Whilst the chicken is cooking, add your linguine to a pot of boiled water with a generous pinch of salt and bring to the boil over a high heat

Cook the linguine for 8-10 min or until cooked with a slight bite

Once done, drain the cooked linguine, reserving a cup of the starchy pasta water

Once the chicken is cooked through, transfer it to a clean board and shred apart using two forks, then set aside – this is your pulled chicken

Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook the onion & mushrooms for a further 3-4 min or until caramelised

Reboil half a kettle

Once the onion & mushrooms have caramelised, add the chopped garlic, ground smoked paprika and chopped thyme to the pan

Add a pinch of salt and a generous grind of pepper and cook for 1 min further or until fragrant

Dissolve your chicken stock mix in 100ml [150ml] [200ml] boiled water

Add the drained linguine and pulled chicken to the pan with the chicken stock and cook for 1-2 min or until slightly thickened

Once thickened, remove the pan from the heat and add your crème fraîche – this is your creamy free range chicken thigh & mushroom stroganoff

Tip: Add a splash of the starchy pasta water if the sauce is looking a little dry