Chicken, Mushroom and Tarragon Cannelloni

, from Issue #97. July, 2021
Photography by Josh Griggs.
Chicken, Mushroom and Tarragon Cannelloni

You can roast a chicken for this recipe, but I usually take the quicker option and buy a cooked chicken and strip off the meat. Using sheets of lasagne makes it much easier to fill and assemble.

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

FILLING
2 tablespoons olive oil
30 grams butter
400 grams button
mushrooms, sliced
sea salt and ground pepper
2 teaspoons dried tarragon
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons plain flour
1¼ cups chicken stock
¼ cup cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
finely grated zest 1 lemon

BÉCHAMEL SAUCE
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons plain flour
1½ cups milk
1 cup grated parmesan
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

TO ASSEMBLE
250 grams fresh egg lasagne sheets (I used Rana)
¾ cup chicken stock parmesan for grating

EQUIPMENT: Large shallow baking dish.

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake.

Heat the oil and butter in a large sauté pan over a high heat. Add the mushrooms and season with salt. Cook, turning occasionally, until they are well coloured and tender.

Stir in the tarragon and garlic then the flour. Cook for 2 minutes then stir in the stock and cream. Simmer for 5 minutes until thickened then add the mustard, chicken and lemon zest. Season well then set aside to cool.

Béchamel: Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour. Whisk in the milk in 3 lots, stirring continuously until smooth. Bring to the boil and continue whisking until it’s thickened and glossy. Stir in the parmesan, nutmeg and mustard. Season well.

To assemble: If the lasagne sheets are large, cut to approximately 18cm x 16 cm. Divide the chicken mixture evenly between them, rolling each sheet to make a cannelloni tube. You should have 8 cannelloni. Pour the stock into the baking dish then arrange the cannelloni, seam side down, on top. Spoon over the bechamel sauce and a generous grating of parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes until golden and bubbling.