How to make chicken thighs with shiitake mushrooms, leeks and tarragon cream

Comfort food isn’t always easy midweek, but Julia Platt Leonard has the answer

Quick comfort food sounds like an oxymoron. Comfort food should feel slow, laidback and languorous, right?

But on a weeknight, when it’s so dark at 7pm that it feels like midnight, comfort food needs to pick up the pace.

Dice chicken thighs have a cooking time of a matter of minutes. For this dish, you can use one pan and clean-up is just as fast, while butter and cream carry the comfort-food banner.

Serve with a salad on the side or toss in a handful of spinach right before serving for a one-pot meal.

Chicken thighs with shiitake mushrooms, leeks and tarragon cream

Serves 3-4

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 400-450g
200g shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
1 leek, trimmed and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 sprigs tarragon
2 tbsp. olive oil
30g butter
170ml single cream
½ tbsp Dijon mustard
Squeeze of lemon
Salt and pepper

Cut each chicken thigh into 6 chunks. Generously salt and pepper the pieces. Heat the olive oil in a deep frying pan. Sauté the chicken over medium heat for several minutes until lightly browned on all sides. Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken and set aside.

Add one sprig of tarragon and the leeks to the pan. Saute until the leeks are softened – about 4-5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another minute or two. Add the butter. Gently tear the shiitake mushroom caps into quarters and add to the pan and season with salt and pepper.

Sauté until softened then add back the chicken, cream, and mustard. Cook until the cream is slightly reduced and the chicken is cooked through – about another 5 minutes. Add a generous squeeze of lemon and more salt and pepper as needed.

Stir in the leaves from the remaining three sprigs of tarragon and serve with noodles or rice.

@juliapleonard

All photos Julia Platt Leonard