GRATIN OF CHICKEN, LEEK, CIDER AND POTATOES

I wrote this recipe for a series I filmed in Cornwall last autumn to tie in with a visit to a cider maker in Lerryn, near Lostwithiel. I wanted to make an all-in-one dish, as I know how popular they are. The combination of chicken and leeks, bound together with double cream and cider, then topped with potatoes and cheese, makes a perfect autumnal lunch or supper.

SERVES 4

■ 50g (1¾oz) butter, melted

■ 400g (14oz) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced

■ 2 leeks, trimmed and sliced

■ 150ml (¼pt) cider

■ 1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard

■ 1tsp soy sauce

■ ¼tsp pimentón (sweet or hot, or use paprika), plus extra for sprinkling

■ 300ml (½pt) double cream

■ ½tsp salt

■ 350g (12oz) Maris Piper potatoes, scrubbed and very finely sliced

■ 50g (1¾oz) Cheddar cheese, grated

TO SERVE

■ Green leafy vegetables

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. You will need an ovenproof dish measuring about 26cm x 20cm.

Heat half the butter in a frying pan and fry the chicken until golden. Transfer it to a plate.

Add the leeks to the pan with the remaining butter. Soften over a low heat without allowing them to colour. Add the cider, then the mustard, soy sauce, pimentón, cream and salt. Boil for 2-3 minutes to thicken the sauce.

Put the chicken back in the pan with any juices, then tip everything into the oven dish. Arrange the potato slices over the filling and sprinkle over the grated Cheddar and some more pimentón.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, until bubbling and golden. About 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time, preheat the grill. Put the dish under the grill to brown the top, then serve with green leafy vegetables.