Recipe Chicken stew with Mushrooms, Sweetcorn and Macaroni

[Morning Glory]

Not my usual style. This is a recipe for left-over roast chicken. A rather creamy affair, although I make it without cream (you could add cream if you wish). The thing which makes the dish for me is the pink peppercorns. You could leave them out, but they do provide a wonderful zingy foil to the creamy sauce.

Pink peppercorns are interesting because they are hollow inside (unlike black peppercorns). So they have a lovely light crunch and piquancy in the sauce. Ingredients are not measured in this recipe. You can vary quantities and use your own judgement. I've included a vegetarian/vegan alternative in green.

We are on the hunt for chicken recipes for The CookingBites Recipe Challenge. Please join in folks!

Photographed in limited natural light this morning

Ingredients
Stock made from left over carcass of roast chicken (or vegetable stock)
Macaroni
Left over pieces of chicken (or butter beans or Quorn chicken pieces)
Button mushrooms, sliced in half
Brandy (optional)
Butter or vegetable oil
Frozen sweetcorn
Cornflour (cornstarch)
Pink peppercorns
Milk (or almond milk)
Coriander (cilantro) to garnish

Method

• Simmer the macaroni in the chicken stock or vegetable stock until cooked. You need to end up with just enough stock to generously cover your macaroni.
• Meanwhile, sautee the mushrooms in butter or vegetable oil until tender then add brandy (if using). Wack up the heat to burn off the alcohol and then simmer briefly to reduce the sauce until it just coats the mushrooms.
• Add chicken pieces, or butter beans or Quorn chicken pieces, mushrooms and frozen sweetcorn (no need to defrost) to the stew and heat through.
• Mix cornflour (cornstarch) with a little cold milk then add to the stew to thicken it. Approx.1 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch per pint of stew.
• Add a little milk, cream or almond milk to the stew and the pink peppercorns.
• Simmer for five minutes.