Praised
Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 large chicken (preferably organic)
- 2 teaspoon(s) garlic infused olive oil
- 100 ml white wine
- 3 Leeks (cleaned, trimmed & cut into 7cm logs)
- 3 carrots (peeled & cut into batons)
- 2 stick(s) celery (sliced)
- 2 litre(s) water (cold)
- 1 bouquet garni (or 1 teaspoon dried herbs)
- 1 bunch Parsley
- 2 teaspoon(s) sea salt
- 2 teaspoon(s) Pepper (or 2 teaspoons red peppercorns)
- 1 pinch of English mustard
- 1 pinch of Dill (chopped)
Method
- Get out a large, flame-safe cooking pot (with a lid) in
which the chicken can fit snugly: mine is about 28cm wide x 10cm deep.
- On a washable board, un-truss the chicken, put it
breast-side down and press down until you hear the breastbone crack. (As
you may imagine, I like this.) Then press down again, so that the chicken
is flattened slightly. Now cut off the ankle joints below the drumstick
(but keep them); I find kitchen scissors up to the task.
- Put the oil in the pan to heat, then brown the chicken
for a few minutes breast-side down, and turn up the heat and turn over the
chicken, tossing in the feet as you do so. Still over a vigorous heat add
the wine or vermouth to the pan and let it bubble down a little before
adding the leeks, carrots and celery.
- Pour in enough cold water to cover the chicken, though
the very top of it may poke out, then pop in the bouquet garni or your
herbs of choice, and the parsley stalks (if I have a bunch, I cut the
stalks off to use here, but leave them tied in the rubber band) or parsley
sprigs
- The chicken should be almost completely submerged by
now and if not, do add some more cold water. You want it just about
covered.
- Bring to a bubble, clamp on the lid, turn the heat to
very low and leave to cook for 1½–2 hours. I tend to give it 1½ hours, or
1 hour 40 minutes, then leave it to stand with the heat off, but the lid
still on, for the remaining 20–30 minutes.
- Serve the chicken and accompanying vegetables with
brown basmati rice, adding a ladleful or two of liquid over each shallow
bowl, as you go, and putting fresh dill and mustard on the table for the
eaters to add as they wish.
- Additional information - for gluten free serve with a
gluten free mustard, such as Dijon.
Serves: 4-8
Serves: 4-8
