COOKBOOK: Mag Recipe
I’m always told that lasagnas are not so easy to make and I often wonder why.
My hint, make a little extra sauce, this layer makes all the difference to any lasagna, whether it is cheese sauce or bechamel sauce, not enough can ruin your dish.
In this recipe I use fresh sheets for lasagna which I purchase from the local grocers but I often use instant dry sheet and my lasagnas turn out just as delicious. Its all in the layers of sauce!
RECIPE
Serves 6
1.2 kg chicken breast
1 tablespoon of olive oil + extra
Salt & pepper
1 onion, chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, chopped finely
500g large mushrooms, sliced
a large handful of parsley, chopped finely
1/2 cup white wine
500g ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated cheese
300g lasagna sheets ( used fresh but you can use dry-instant sheets)
CHEESE SAUCE
120g butter
3/4 cup plain flour
4-5 cups of milk (gradually added)
1 large spoonful of seeded mustard
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
Pre-heat the oven at 180C
Place the chicken pieces in a baking dish, cover with olive oil, salt and pepper, and bake for 50mins or until cooked through. Cut into bite sizes
In a deep casserole dish, extra olive oil. Add garlic, stir, add onion. Stir and allow to cook for a min. Add mushrooms. Combine well. Add white wine and also to cook for a few more minutes. Turn heat off, add parsley, salt and pepper. Add ricotta cheese and combine well. Set aside.
In a new deep pot, on low heat, add butter and allow it to melt. Gradually add flour and continuously whisk until it removes from the side of the pan. Begin to add milk gradually and dont stop stirring (preferably with a whisk). Add the milk in batches. Between the batches of milk, add the mustard and stir.
This sauce should have a lump-free texture, not too runny and not too thick. Add a little salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a casserole dish which holds approx 6litres, add a thin layer of mushroom mixture. Top with chicken pieces. Sprinkle with grated tasty cheese. Top with a layer of lasagna sheets, break some of the sheet to cover some of the unfilled spaces. Top with a layer of cheese sauce, spread evenly. Top a layer of mushroom mixture. A layer of lasagna sheets and the extra chicken pieces over it. Spread the rest of the cheese sauce and sprinkle the parmesan over it. Bake for approximately 1 hour or until golden . Allow it to stand for 15mins before serving.
HINT: Mushroom sauce - split into two batches
lasagna sheets - split into two batches
Chicken pieces - split into two batches
Cheese sauce - split into two batches
