Donna Hay: chicken, pancetta and mushroom stew

In the spirit of playing mom, I have to share my new favorite cookbook(s). Tina turned me on to Donna Hay when she made this amazing, flavorful chicken with crispy skin and preserved lemon. Ooh, my mouth is literally watering as I'm writing this. She actually got the instructions for the preserved lemons from one of the magazines, but I still went right out and bought the book. It's fabulous! The ingredient lists are short and simple, and the pictures are gorgeous. That mag subscription would be nice one to get, but it's a pricey one - all the way from Australia! I'm content with my book.

I was living quite happily with my single, hardcover copy of The Instant Cook, when I found fantastic Donna Hay deals at Green Apple Books. They were selling her Modern Classics (Book 1) , Entertaining, and The New Cook for $9.98 each (originally $24.95). I cannot pass up a good deal, so I bought all three. Of course!

I made this chicken, pancetta and mushroom stew (from Modern Classics) last week with Tina. It turned out well, so I'm sharing. I learned fast in kindergarten. (And in case you're wondering, which you're probably not, I did look up the legality of my share on Westlaw. I had to; it's part of me now. And I'm not breaking any laws... at least not by sharing this recipe.)

3 1/4 lb chicken, cut into 8 pieces, skin removed
all-purpose flour for coating
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 oz pancetta, diced
2 leeks, sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
7 oz button mushrooms, halved
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup cream
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
sea salt and cracked black pepper

Flour the chicken, shaking off any excess. Place half of the oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat. Brown the chicken; remove and set it aside.
Add the remaining oil and cook the pancetta, leeks, garlic and mushrooms until golden; remove and set aside.
Bring the chicken stock and wine to a simmer in the pan, scraping up anything from the base of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan and cook, covered, for 25 minutes.
Add the pancetta, leek, garlic and mushroom mixture, the cream, parsley, tarragon, salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until reduced and thickened. Serve on plates or in bowls with potatoes or steamed rice. (We served with rice pasta, either De Cecco or Barillo.) Serves 4.