I always keep a bag of chicken breasts in the freezer. When you get home from work late and have no inspiration it’s really easy to roast a chicken breast and make a nice sauce to go with it.

One sauce recipe I always have on stand by is this wild mushroom sauce, as it’s easily thrown together with ingredients you can keep in your storecupboard.

The recipe (John Torode) says to use chicken supreme and stuff the mushrooms under the skin. But I use regular chicken breasts and mixthe mushrooms in the sauce, which always works out fine for me. This is lovely, served with a baked potato and some romanesco cauliflower.

Ingredients

• 25g dried ceps
• 50g butter , softened
• small handful tarragon , leaves torn
• 4 chicken breasts , skin on
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 150ml white wine
• 100g crème fraîche

1. Soak the mushrooms in 300ml hot water for 10 mins until plump. Drain, reserving the soaking liquid, and chop. Mix with the butter and half the tarragon, then stuff under the skin of the chicken.
2. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat the oil in a large flameproof dish, add the chicken and brown on all sides. Transfer to the oven for 20 mins. Remove from the oven; the chicken should be cooked by now. Remove from dish and keep warm.
3. Return the dish to the heat, add the wine and simmer until nearly reduced. Add the reserved mushroom liquid and simmer to reduce by half. Stir in the crème fraîche and simmer for 1-2 mins more. Add the remaining tarragon and season. Return the chicken to the dish, heat through for 1 min more, then serve.