Try This: Dan Warren’s Lockdown Chicken

Dan Warren, Head Chef at The Broad Chare, shares a simple ‘one-pot’ dish that really delivers when it comes to spring flavours. 

 

This chicken recipe is quick and easy to make, with no compromise on flavour. It’s made up of pretty straight-forward ingredients and is the ideal one-pot dish to see you through a day or two in lockdown.

The bird is cooked sealed tight with potatoes, aromatics, stock and butter, resulting in juicy flesh, tender vegetables and a rich fragrant liquor.

 

 

LOCKDOWN CHICKEN

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 free-range chicken (around 1.5kg)
400g waxy salad potatoes, peeled and halved
2 celery sticks, washed & roughly chopped
1 small leek, washed & roughly chopped
6 cloves garlic
3 bay leaves (fresh or dried)
Sprig of thyme and lovage (optional)
1 unwaxed lemon
50ml EV olive oil
100g unsalted butter, softened
200ml chicken stock or water
Salt and pepper
300g peas (fresh or frozen)

 

METHOD:

  • Preheat the oven to 220°C / gas mark 7.
  • Remove the wishbone from the chicken to ensure easier carving when cooked, then season liberally inside and out.
  • Place the potatoes, celery, leeks, garlic, pared lemon zest and herbs in an ovenproof (ideally cast iron) dish, then set the chicken on top.
  • Spread the butter generously on to the bird, pour over the stock and olive oil and season again. Place a square of greaseproof paper on the chicken, then foil the dish to create a tight seal, to prevent any moisture from escaping.
  • Cook for 45 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 150°C / gas mark 2. Cook for a further 45 minutes or until the juices run clear.
  • Remove chicken from the dish and add the peas for a further 30 minutes, while the bird rests. The peas will lose their verdant colour but will swell and become tender and sweet, absorbing the rich chicken juices.
  • To finish, joint the chicken and colour skin-side in a little foaming butter if desired. Adjust the cooking liquor to taste with a little lemon juice and seasoning.
  • Serve the chicken with the braised vegetables and their juices. Enjoy with aioli and some good bread.

 

Fancy giving Dan Warren’s Lockdown Chicken a go? Follow this recipe and post on social media using the hashtag, #21AtHome.