I used 4 oz. of prosciutto and a drizzle of olive oil in place of the bacon lardons, and regular white mushrooms in place of fancier ones, but otherwise followed the recipe as written. It’s a good recipe for a dinner party, because you do a small amount of work up front and then let it simmer on the stove. (You know, so you can race around your kitchen making it presentable for guests!) The minute you lift the lid on the pot, you can smell just how good it’s going to be. The ham, chicken, leeks, and wine all blend together perfectly.

Although the recipe suggested serving the chicken over noodles, mashed potatoes seemed more appropriate to me, so I whipped up a quick batch by steaming the potatoes in the microwave. I thought it might be a cheap shortcut, but it wasn’t – the potatoes came out really well, and I didn’t have to put another pan on the stove.

When the chicken is served, bits of prosciutto and leek are clinging to the thigh, and the wine broth floods your plate. So make sure you have a piece of French bread on hand to soak it all up because you don’t want to miss a bite.