Pot Roast Chicken

Pot Roast Chicken

serves 6
cooking time 2 1/2 hours

The slow cooking of ensures you end up with a succulent chicken, the meat will fall from the bones. Towards the end of cooking time I add vegetables such as parsnips carrots or potatoes, they have such amazing flavour cooked this way and less washing up !!!  I usually make one extra side dish to accompany the roast over the next few blogs I will give you some great ideas for sides e.g roasted carrots with thyme or the old favourite cauliflower gratin.

Ingredients

1.6 kilo chicken
2 leeks cut into 1 inch wedges
1 head of garlic cut in half ( no need to peel )
20 gms butter
1 lemon quartered
250 mls chicken stock
1 cup white wine
1 teas salt 1/2 teas pepper
3 rashes bacon
2 sprigs rosemary and 4 sprigs thyme tied together
2 tbs olive oil

Method

Wash and dry the chicken.
Pre heat oven to 160c.
Gently separate the skin from the breast and place the butter inside.
Place the lemon quarters into the cavity of the chicken.
Put the leeks on the bottom of the dutch oven or a heavy based roasting dish with a tight fitting lid.
Place the chicken on top of the leeks season with salt and pepper, tuck in the herbs and the garlic.
Pour in the stock and wine and place the bacon over the breast of the chicken.
Cook for 1 hour at 160c.
Increase the oven to 180c add your vegetable I used parsnips and carrots simply halved and quartered.
Remove the lid and let the chicken brown slightly for 15 minutes.
Remove most of the liquid from the pan and place in a saucepan with 2 teas of corn flour that has been mixed with1 tbs of cold water.
Carve chicken and transfer to a serving plate along with the leek and vegetables, put gravy into a jug or gravy boat.


I served this with roasted cherry tomatoes and basil and steamed broccoli.