Savory bread charlotte with chicken stew

Melt the butter over lowish heat and boil the water out of it gently, about 10 minutes, until the boiling turns to foaming.

For a ghee-like flavor let the milk solids brown slightly, then strain through a paper towel in a sieve into a microwave-safe container.

Cover the dried porcini with water, microwave about 5 minutes and leave to soften.

Debone the chicken thighs and cut into small pieces.

Season well with salt and pepper and toss with enough flour to coat; separate the pieces so they do not stick together.

Brown the chicken in some of the clarified butter in a wide pan over medium heat, in one layer, flipping once it releases.

Peel and mince the shallots and cook them in with the chicken.

Stir in a squeeze of tomato paste.

Before the fond burns, deglaze with the mushroom liquid and add the mushrooms; scrape the pan clean and reduce to a simmer.

Slice the carrots unpeeled, stir them in and simmer.

Once some liquid has evaporated, add about half a bottle of red wine to keep everything almost submerged.

Stir in the powdered gelatin aggressively and keep cooking until the lumps dissolve.

Cut the crusts off the bread, slice it as thin as possible and cut the slices into wide strips.

Dip one side of each strip quickly in the clarified butter and press it greasy side against the inside of the oven-safe bowls, patching holes with small pieces; keep bread back for the tops.

When the chicken and carrots are soft (about 45 minutes of simmering), taste and adjust with salt and pepper and stir in balsamic vinegar.

Off the heat, stir in the frozen peas and snip in fresh thyme.

Add a little water back so the sauce stays slightly too wet.

Fill the bread-lined bowls with sauce and chunks, then top with bread, greasy side up.

Cover with foil and bake at 400F / 200C.

After about half an hour remove the foil so the tops brown; bake just under an hour in total, until the stew bubbles under the crust.

To hold, return to the oven about 20 minutes to recrisp the shell.

Once cool enough to handle, put a plate on top, flip and lift off the bowl.