Poaching a chicken

I am off for the weekend , didn’t want to leave a chicken and a lot of vegetables in the fridge . I pretty much always buy whole chickens not portions these days .. it was a nice yellow organic one . Decided to poach the chicken rather than roast its fairly warm at the moment and didn’t want the full oven on the flat gets very hot .

I haven’t poached a chicken before it produces a really moist chicken , the poaching juice was light and tasty and only one pot – no greasy roasting tins , always keen to find more things to do with my Le Cruset pot . Once poached I ate the chicken and vegetables with the poaching juice ,you could probably add a little cream to the poaching juice but I just wanted light tasting.

Poaching a chicken…

1. Place a whole chicken in a cast iron pan on the hob
2. Cover over slices , turnip radish carrot onion and garlic .
3. Season with salt , pepper , thyme , bay leaves and a chunk of lemon.
4. Pour over enough boiling water to cover , bring to the boil and approx one and a half hours for a medium chicken

To servee slices of the chicken and vegetables with the chicken juice ( you might want to add some fresh cream, but I prefer it with just extra fresh thyme , salt and pepper)

Its been a source of conversation how much I cook and often it is from scratch , however things things like bagging up the leftover chicken , veggies and juice will provide my version of ready meals for lunchtimes and after long work days . I don’t own a microwave but these will simmer down in a pan in less than ten minutes and can be spruced up with fresh herbs ( particularly with a glug of cocunut milk , coriander and chilli )

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