Poulet au Pot

Prep Time:

20 minutes

Cook Time:

2 hours

Serves:

6

I met my learned friend Neil at Gatwick Airport before flying to Lyon for a Sideways-style wine tour of Burgundy and the southern Rhône. We went during Semaine du Goût, the annual week-long festival that promotes culinary appreciation and education.

That year, the dish commemorated Henry IV’s wish that every French person should be able to eat chicken on a Sunday. We drove to Bresse, home of the black-feathered chicken, and bought probably the most expensive chicken I have ever purchased.

You can enrich the dish with cooked mushrooms. Stir a tablespoon of flour into a small tub of crème fraîche, then whisk it into the cooking liquor.

Ingredients

1 well-bred or high welfare chicken
2 leeks, trimmed and cut in half widthways
1 onion, peeled and studded with cloves
2 celery sticks, washed and cut in half widthways
4 parsnips or turnips, peeled and quartered
400g potatoes, peeled and halved lengthways
1 bouquet garni
2 tbsp chopped parsley
50g butter
1 tbsp olive oil
2 litres chicken stock

Method

1 On a medium heat brown the chicken on all sides in the oil and butter
2 Place the chicken in a large casserole pot and cover with cold water.
3 Put on a high heat, bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer, skim any impurities from the top. Cook for 45 minutes.
4 Add salt and pepper, bouquet garni, celery, onion, carrots, cook for a further 45 minutes.
5 Add the leeks, potatoes, turnips or parsnips, cook for a further 30 minutes. Remove the chicken and place in a colander.
6 Carve the chicken and serve with the stock and vegetables. Garnish with parsley.