Chicken Marsala

Cut each chicken thigh in half and trim off any excess fat. Put the flour in a shallow bowl and season well. Coat the chicken in flour, shaking off the excess.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large sauté pan over a medium heat and brown the chicken on both sides. Don’t have the oil too hot or the flour will burn. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Add the thyme, bacon and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat.

Add the garlic, Marsala, red wine, chicken stock, tomato paste and the bay leaf. Stir to release any sticky bits on the base of the pan and cook for 1 minute. Put the chicken back in and stir to coat in the sauce. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and the sauce is syrupy. If the sauce is too thin and the chicken is cooked, remove the meat and reduce the sauce over a high heat. Add the chicken back to the pan and combine with the sauce. Stir in the flat leaf parsley and taste for seasoning.

To serve: Divide the mashed potatoes between warm serving bowls. Top with 3 pieces of chicken and spoon over the sauce. Serve each with a piece of grilled sourdough bread.