Somerset chicken
Serves: 4
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Emma Guscott
Somerset chicken
While the origins of Somerset chicken are vague, there are suggestions that it dates as far back as the 1700s. One thing is for certain: the dish comes from the south-west of England, and it features two famous Somerset products – cider and cheddar. This version of the dish uses the cheese in the creamy sauce rather than melted on top, so that the chicken skin stays extra crispy. It’s best enjoyed with a fresh apple and watercress salad.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
See more recipes
Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
691Kcal
Fat
27gr
Saturates
15gr
Carbs
36gr
Sugars
13gr
Fibre
5gr
Protein
49gr
Salt
2.5gr
Spencer Lengsfield
Our Senior Food Producer Spencer was born in Los Angeles, so has an inherent love for all things Mexican, Japanese, and Korean but is also heavily influenced by her family’s Louisiana heritage. She loves spice, bright flavours, and fusion food, and she has a soft spot for a chocolate chip cookie.
See more of Spencer Lengsfield’s recipes
Spencer Lengsfield
Our Senior Food Producer Spencer was born in Los Angeles, so has an inherent love for all things Mexican, Japanese, and Korean but is also heavily influenced by her family’s Louisiana heritage. She loves spice, bright flavours, and fusion food, and she has a soft spot for a chocolate chip cookie.
See more of Spencer Lengsfield’s recipes
Ingredients
- 2 x 540g packs skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
- 500g baby potatoes, halved
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 30g unsalted butter
- 1 onion, sliced
- 200g chestnut mushrooms, chopped
- 1 apple, peeled and diced
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 200ml cider
- 200ml chicken stock (made with ½ a cube)
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 2 tbsp crème fraîche
- 50g mild cheddar, grated
To serve
- 1 apple, thinly sliced
- 50g watercress
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp chives, finely chopped
Step by step
- Preheat the oven to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas 7. Rub the chicken and potatoes with the oil and season with salt and pepper. To sear the chicken, place the thighs and drumsticks in a cold, large frying pan over a medium-high heat. You may need to do this in batches. Once the skin is golden and easily releases from the pan, transfer the chicken to a large baking tray, along with the potatoes, and roast for 30 minutes or until everything is cooked through and crispy.
- Meanwhile, put the butter in the same pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for a few minutes until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and apple and cook for a further 2-3 minutes until they’ve taken on some colour. Stir through the flour, then pour over the cider and stock. Scrape the base of the pan, then add the Worcestershire sauce and mustard, and season with salt and pepper. Leave to simmer gently over a low heat while the chicken finishes roasting, about 10-15 minutes.
- When everything is almost ready to serve, toss together the apple, watercress and lemon juice (to taste), then season. Take the chicken out of the oven, add any roasting juices from the chicken to the sauce, along with the crème fraîche and grated cheddar. Stir over a low heat until combined. Transfer the sauce to a lipped platter or serving dish, then top with the crispy chicken and potatoes. Scatter over the chives and serve with the watercress and apple salad.
