Ingredients

• 3 (3½–4 lb.) ovenready chickens
• 1 lb. onions, peeled and sliced
• 2 green peppers
• 2 red peppers
• 2 yellow peppers, or use 4 red peppers
• 1 lb. button mushrooms, wiped, trimmed and sliced
• 11 oz. butter
• 9 oz. plain flour
• 1½ pints milk

Method

1. Place chickens in a large saucepan (or cook separately), cover with water. Peel and slice onions, add to pan with plenty of salt and white pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer chickens for 1½ hours. Leave to cool in stock until cool enough to handle.
2. Place chickens on a board, strain stock and reserve. Remove skin from chickens and cut chicken meat into chunky pieces.
3. Cut peppers in halves lengthways. Discard stalk, seeds and cores. Slice peppers, cook in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water.
4. Wipe and trim mushrooms, slice. Melt 2 oz. of the butter in a pan, add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Add to chicken.
5. Melt remaining butter in a large saucepan. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually blend in 3½ pints of the chicken stock, then milk. Bring to the boil and cook, stirring for 3 minutes.
6. Add chicken, mushrooms and peppers. Taste and season. Reheat to serve at once, or cool quickly and keep in refrigerator for up to two days or in a freezer for six weeks.

Notes