Chicken Casserole with Whiskey

Chicken Casserole with Whiskey  (ignore the peas and beans,  I happened to have some leftover in the fridge,  so chucked them in)

I have finally worked up the courage to cook with whiskey.  I had to drink half a bottle...  not really!!  I haven't been keen.  I hate the smell of Scotch.  Really.  Hate it.  And knowing which one to buy?  Pah!  I went for something on special at Woolworths.  I think it might have been Black Douglas.

Anyway...  I didn't have a clue,  so I looked up Failsafe Foodie's recent recipe, which used Scotch, for inspiration...  then I jumped in.

When Mr frillypants got home from picking up the school and pre-school kids (gee, it was quiet) they all stopped and sniffed and said "Mmmmmmmmm,  what's that?  What's for dinner?"  Good start.  Then Mr frillypants and MsD were fighting over who was going to taste it first.... then second... then third...  I think I can safely say it's a hit without even serving it up!    

I plan to serve it with rice and green beans.  A tummy-warming casserole for a 10ºC rainy day.

Ingredients:

• 500-600g Chicken breast or thigh, diced
• about 1/2 cup Plain Flour
• 1/2 cup of Whiskey
• 1 leek, quartered lengthways and sliced
• 2 sticks of celery, finely sliced
• 1 head of garlic, about 10 cloves all peeled
• 1 medium carrot*, diced
• A handful of Butternut Pumpkin*, diced
• 1 swede, diced
• 1 can lentils, drained and rinsed
• 1 litre water
• 1tab Vegie Stock Concentrate  
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Coat diced chicken in flour
• In a large heavy-based pan, heat a little failsafe oil and brown the chicken
• Deglaze the pan using half of the Whiskey
• Add leek, carrot, pumpkin and celery and sautée
• Add water, stock, lentils and the rest of the Whiskey (did you think we were going to drink it?)
• Simmer gently on the stove top or in the oven at 170ºC while you listen to school-readers or word lists...  listen to the news... or check facebook
• Add salt as required
• Serve with steamed rice and green-beans

* Moderate Salicylate

Verdict:  Woohoo!  It's a hit.  Three of them kept saying 'It reminds me of something we've had before...'  I have no idea.  But the main thing was...  there were firsts and then there were seconds. 
Tweeks:  Any more vegies you might like could be added.  Diced potato, shredded cabbage.  The light gravy was very nice.