When only the best will do, TOKARA‘s acclaimed Reserve Collection Chardonnay ticks all the right boxes and with good reason. As the seasons start changing, it is the ideal time to enjoy the last bit of summer with a wine of restrained power and finesse.

Crafted from 100% Chardonnay grapes, TOKARA‘s Reserve Collection Chardonnay 2019 was one of five Top 10 wines that propelled TOKARA to Winery of the Year in the Prescient Top 20 Wines of South Africa 2020. The wine is paired perfectly with Drizzle and Dip‘s Sam Linsell’s Creamy Chicken and Mushroom recipe below – ideal for midweek enjoyment, but also elegant enough for a special dinner with a glass of Chardonnay.

Here’s the recipe:

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Creamy Chicken & Mushrooms

with Tokara Reserve Collection Chardonnay 2019

By: Sam Linsell

Serves 4

Ingredients

50g dried porcini mushrooms
3 tbsp TOKARA olive oil
8 free-range chicken thighs (or thighs and drumsticks)
40g butter
1 small onion, 2 shallots or half a large onion, finely chopped
1 large leek or 2 small leeks, washed and sliced
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
½ cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock
½ cup cream
250g portobello mushrooms (1 punnet) cut into quarters
40g butter
Small bunch parsley chopped to garnish
Salt & Pepper

Method

Cover the dried porcini mushrooms with 200ml of boiling water and allow to soften for 20 minutes. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole dish or non-stick frying pan and season the chicken pieces well with salt and pepper. Fry the pieces on both sides until golden brown. Remove and set aside on a plate. Drain off some of the fat if necessary and add the butter, onions and leeks. Sauté over a gentle heat until softened. Do not brown. Add the crushed garlic and cook briefly until aromatic for about 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and allow it to bubble for about 2 minutes before adding the chicken stock.

Drain the porcini mushrooms and chop them up. Add them into the dish with the soaking liquid and the cream. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and any juices back into the dish and cook over a gentle heat for about 20 – 25 minutes. Half with the lid on and half with the lid off. If you do not have a lidded casserole dish, you can start off the cooking process in a non-stick frying pan and then transfer it to an ovenproof dish. Cover with foil and roast for 30 minutes and then a further 10 minutes with the foil off. A few minutes before the chicken is ready, sauté the quartered mushrooms in butter and mix them with the chicken. Scatter finely chopped parsley to serve.

XOXOXO