Free Cooking Recipes

Chicken in the pot It was Henry IV’s wish that every family in his kingdom should be able to afford and enjoy this simple, but excellent, example of French cooking every Sunday. Hundreds of years later, it is still the perfect, trouble-free meal for all the family. Serve it with saffron rice or creamed potatoes.

SERVES 4 TO 6
1 x 1.75 kg/4 ib oven-ready chicken, with giblets
250 g/8 oz piece streaky bacon, derinded and cubed
8 button onions
2 cloves
1 clove garlic, crushed (minced)
2 large carrots. cut into 2.5 cm/I inch chunks
1 stick celery, sliced
2/3 cup/150 ml/1/4 pt dry white wine
10 cups/21/4 pt chicken stock (made with the giblets)
bouquet garni made up of 1 small bunch parsley
stalks, 1 bayleaf, and 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup/150 m1/1/4 pt milk
250 g/1/2 lb button mushrooms
squeeze lemon juice
15 ml/I heaped tbsp butter
15 ml/1 heaped tbsp flour

Directions:

1. Place the chicken and bacon in a large pan or casserole and gently saute them in their own fat, until tinged brown. Remove the chicken.
2. Stud 2 of the onions with the cloves and add these to the pan, together with the remaining onions, garlic, carrot chunks and celery. Cover and `sweat’ over a gentle heat for 5 minutes.
3. Return the chicken to the pan. Pour on the wine and stock (broth), add the bouquet garni and season well.
4. Very slowly bring to the simmer, skim and cook gently until the chicken is very tender. This may take I 1/2-2 hours. (The longer and slower it cooks, the better the end result)
5. Add the whole button mushrooms 30 minutes before the end.
6. When done, remove the chicken, vegetables and bacon to a warm serving dish. Strain a scant 2 cups/450 ml/3/4 pt of the stock (broth) into a measuring jug (reserve the remainder for other use). Degrease the stock at this stage.
7. Return the measured stock and milk to the saucepan. Add the lemon juice. Boil the liquid fiercely to reduce it a little.
8. Meanwhile, prepare the sbeurre manie – cream the butter and flour together to form a smooth paste. Whisk in the paste, a little at a time, until the sauce thickens. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Check the seasonings.
9. Serve the chicken whole coated with some of the sauce and surrounded with the bacon and vegetables. Carve the chicken at the table, serving the remainder of the sauce separately