CUSTOMERS of The Crown, in deep countryside at Aston End, near Stevenage, may be wondering what has hit them following the arrival this summer of Jason and Debbie Emery. There is a new menu, themed nights are about to start featuring the food of other countries and regular Sunday quizzes have already raised more than �200 for the local school and pre-school.Customers can also take part in a music quiz on the first Thursday of every month, enjoy live music every other Friday and - to bring it all together - the so-far low-tech Crown is to have a website.Jason's choice for his recipe is right in character. He is self taught, but his dishes have instant customer appeal. He and Debbie read about food and take notes when they eat out. If something appeals to both of them, Jason will put his own interpretation on it and his customers benefit. He says the idea for pollo funghi 'just came to him' and it has become a best seller, sharing the menu with pub favourites plus the likes of lamb knuckle in red wine and rosemary gravy or Chinese-style duck breast on stir-fried vegetables and egg noodles, finished with hoi sin sauce. Other specials include red snapper with chorizo and new potatoes, chosen because the oil from the sausage adds a special flavour to the fish.Ingredients

8oz chicken breast6-8 button mushrooms� small white onionOlive oil2 rashers unsmoked baconSalt and pepper1 lg glass red wineMixed herbs1. Take chicken breast and cut a pocket in it lengthways, ensuring you don't go all the way through. Thinly slice 3-4 mushrooms and stuff into the pocket, lay two rashers of bacon on a surface, ensuring they are slightly overlapping, place stuffed chicken breast on top of bacon and bring exposed bacon over the chicken. Season with salt, pepper and olive oil. Place on oiled oven tray and place in oven for about 30mins at about 240c.2. While chicken is cooking, take a saucepan and add red wine on low heat, slice the rest of the mushrooms and thinly slice the onion. Add mushrooms, onion and mixed herbs to the wine and leave to simmer while chicken cooks. 3. At end of 30mins, take chicken out and cut diagonally to check it is cooked. If not, put it back and keep checking until chicken is ready. 4. Once it is cooked, place it on a plate, resting one half on top of the other, ladle contents of saucepan over it and serve with potatoes and vegetables of your choice. Roasted new potatoes with rosemary, sea salt and black pepper are a good accompaniment.The CrownLong Lane, Aston End, Stevenage SG2 7HD01438 880060