Pot luck

On New Year's Eve we made passage to The East. To Mr Naylor's for a pot luck supper.

We started with Champagne and sloe gin, and proceeded to pistachio soup. I brought beef in red wine with juniper dumplings, and chicken in white wine - it was all so deliciously Abigail's party, Mr Naylor roasted up potatoes and a celeriac gratin, i overcooked the broccoli.

Dessert was a crumble, a mango and blueberry shortbread and Mr Naylor wheeled out his roulade. Then there was cheese, and chocolates, and wine and more champagne, and then Jools Holland and an unrecognisable Kylie Minogue.

It was perfect, apart from the broccoli.

The chicken also made for good leftovers.

It was a hybrid recipe, as they always are.

Ingredients:
Some chicken in bits
Some white wine
Mushrooms
Herbage
Butter with truffles in it
Truffle oil

Brown the chicken, transfer to a casserole dish, deglaze the pan with the wine and pour over the chicken. Saute the mushrooms in butter until golden, and at the last minute add a dollop of the truffle butter. Add to the chicken with some bay leaves and thyme or other herbage, season.
Cook in the oven at 150C for an hour and a half.
Pour the cooking liquor into a pan, reduce add in some double cream and a spoonful of mustard.
Place the chicken on a fancy platter, pour over the reduced sauce and a few drops of truffle oil.

Serve with good company and sparkling conversation and champagne.