A cheeky succulent little chicken in a pot

If you’ve been unexpectedly invaded by a posse of friends needing to be fed, or run out of ideas for feeding your family and they’re starving, when all you have ‘in’ is that frozen chicken tucked away somewhere at the back of the freezer, do not despair! I have the perfect solution AND it is amazingly economical, three dishes from one bird and it can be cooked from frozen in less than forty minutes.   I invented this recipe when I was a bit boxed in, but I’m sure it is at least partly rooted somewhere in Jewish medical culture :o)

Ingredients

It goes without saying that you should use organic or at least certified pesticide free ingredients if you can find and afford them

1 x Frozen chicken, organic and as free range as you can get

3 x Celery sticks

3 x Carrots

1 x Large white onion

2 x Tablespoons of dried tarragon

2 Litres still, spring water

Salt

Method

Remember that it isn’t necessary to defrost the chicken for this recipe

Dice the celery and carrots

Peel and quarter the onion

Put half of the vegetables and tarragon in a pan that is big enough to hold the whole chicken

Put the chicken on top of the vegetables

Add the remaining vegetables, tarragon and about a heaped teaspoon of salt, then cover the chicken with the water.

Quickly bring the ingredients to a rapid boil, then reduce the heat until the water is at a hearty rolling simmer, for 20/25 minutes.  At this stage, don’t overcook the chicken otherwise none of the flavour will be retained in the bird.  They will all transfer to the liquor.

After 25 minutes the chicken will be thoroughly cooked, inside and out because of the immersion method of cooking, it should be falling apart and tricky to lift out of the pan.  The cooking liquor will be full of delicious tarragon chicken flavour.  At this point if your family or guests are desperate, the chicken can be served straight from the pot.  Don’t forget “boiled fowl” has an honourable gastronomic history.  The “Tudors” would happily scoff down a couple for breakfast, before moving on to heartier fare, maybe swans leg or a beef chop or two!

I digress, my choice to finish the chicken, given time, is to sprinkle the bird with just a little salt and smoked paprika and then whack it into a piping hot oven at 220 C to colour up for a further 15 to 20 minutes.

Then just plate it up and serve it in your usual way, you might even just rip it to pieces and eat it with your fingers, whilst dipping crunchy soda bread or baguette into some of the cooking liquor.  Its fun and much healthier than a certain transatlantic, highly calorific offering.

Footnote

I said at the beginning that you could get three dishes from one bird, this is how.

1.      Divide the cooking liquor two thirds to one third, retaining the vegetables in the larger portion.  Add a cup or so of pearled barley and simmer until the barley softens.  Voila, spectacular and nourishing chicken and vegetable broth.

2.      Simmer the smaller portion of cooking liquor until it reduces to about 5/600 ml and decant it into a clean glass jar (whilst still piping hot) and rapidly seal it.  Make sure that the lid ‘pops’ as a vacuum forms whilst the jar and contents cool.  When it is completely cold it can be kept in the fridge for a month or so and used whenever a recipe calls for chicken stock in sauces or better still in a rich risotto!