Chicken in Creamy Leek & Bell Pepper Sauce

Slice the onion into half rings and crush or mince the garlic. Thoroughly wash the leek and slice it into thin crescents. Chop the bell pepper into thin strips.

Did you know... the majority of the leek's nutrients are in the green part at the top. It is rich in vitamin B6, which is essential for muscles and immunity.

Dice the chicken in 2 cm cubes. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat and fry the garlic for 1 - 2 minutes. Add the chicken and the vegetables and fry for 8 - 10 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper.

In the meantime, melt the butter in another frying pan over medium heat. Add the flour and fry for 2 minutes, stirring continuously (see Tip). Add the water for the sauce (see pantry for amount). Whisk continuously until fully incorporated, then crumble in the rest of the stock cube and bring to the boil. Allow to reduce for 1 - 2 minutes, seasoning to taste with pepper.

Tip: this technique is known as making a roux. For this, it's important that the quantities are precise; 1 tbsp butter is 15g and 1 tbsp flour is 20g.

Finely chop the parsley. To the sauce, add the cream, the mustard and the grated cheese, along with a pinch of nutmeg as preferred. Mix well and season to taste with salt and pepper, then allow to reduce for another 2 - 4 minutes (see Tip). Transfer the chicken and vegetables to the sauce, along with half of the parsley. Mix well to combine.

Tip: add an extra splash of water as necessary if the sauce is too thick.