Praised Chicken

A gentle, restorative whole chicken poached with vegetables and aromatics to give tender meat and a clear, fragrant broth served with a green herb sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (about 1.5-2kg)
• 2 leeks, cleaned and halved
• 3 carrots, peeled
• 2 celery sticks
• 1 bulb of garlic, halved horizontally
• 1 thumb of fresh ginger, sliced
• 2 spring onions
• 1 long red chilli, halved
• 1 tablespoon peppercorns
• Bunch of fresh parsley and dill

Cold water to cover

• For the green sauce: bunch of parsley, dill and chives, 1 garlic clove, 4 tablespoons olive oil, juice of 1 lemon

Directions

1. Sit the chicken in a large pot and surround with the leeks, carrots, celery, garlic, ginger, spring onions, chilli, peppercorns and herbs.
2. Pour in enough cold water just to cover the chicken and bring slowly to the boil.
3. Reduce to the barest simmer, partially cover and poach gently for about 1 hour 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
4. Lift out the chicken and carve or pull into pieces; strain and season the broth.
5. Blitz all the green sauce ingredients to a loose, vivid spoonable sauce.
6. Serve bowls of chicken and vegetables in the hot broth, with the green sauce spooned over.

Notes

Adapted from Nigella Lawson’s Praised Chicken (Kitchen / nigella.com).