Poached Whole Chicken

The Perfect Chicken

I am not the first to claim the ‘perfect chicken’ and I won’t say this is the simplest or prettiest of recipes, however it does stay remarkably moist due to the poaching. The stock left over is also devine used as a base for gravy or as a stock for risotto and can be frozen for use later on.

You can use the poached chicken in a variety of ways, perfect for healthy low fat dishes just how it is, or for a Sunday treat, roast the chicken in a hot oven for 30 mins after the poaching time, it crisps up the skin while the meat remains exceptionally moist.

The perfect side dish to this is Pommes Boulangere made with the stock from the chicken, a dish that can go into the oven while the chicken roasts, this fabulous pairing wastes nothing and will be ready to dish up by the time the chicken is carved. I’ve added the recipe for the potatoes at the end of the post.

 

Ingredients

For the poaching liquid

1 chicken (weight about 1.2kg for my biggest saucepan with lid)
1 onion, chopped into quarters, not peeled
1 carrot, chopped into chunks
2 bay leaves
15 black peppercorns, 10 pink peppercorns
1 tsp sea salt
1 lemon
1 blade of mace
3 cloves garlic, just crushed in their skins
1/4 pint white wine, I used a Chenin Blanc

Method

• Add all the above into a large saucepan big enough to easily fit the chicken and poaching ingredients, top up with water to cover the chicken and bring to the boil.
• Once boiling reduce heat, place on lid and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and leave chicken to stand in stock for 30 minutes or 1 hour if not roasting.
• Remove from poaching liquid and drain well. If not roasting the chicken is ready to use. Discard the skin and enjoy the chicken hot or cold.
• If roasting drain as above, heat oven to 200 degrees and place on roasting rack. Stuff onions, lemon slices and garlic cloves into chicken cavity. Dot chicken with butter, season skin with salt and pepper and roast, breast side down on the roasting rack for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn chicken and roast for 15 further minutes breast side up.
• Cover with foil and rest for about 10 minutes and carve. Delicious, I hope you’ll agree.

Pommes Boulangere

3 large Maris Piper or Baking Potatoes, thinly sliced
150ml chicken stock
10 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Butter
Salt and pepper

• Thinly slice the potatoes, I use a mandolin for this as it makes uniformly thin slices ensuring the potatoes cook through evenly. If you get one, beware... tops of fingers have been lost by the best of cooks on these things, use the safety guard if it has one.
• Drain chicken stock through a sieve.
• Butter a baking dish and place a thin layer of potatoes, a few slices of garlic and a sprinkle of thyme leaves and season, repeat until all potatoes are used. Ladle on stock and add a few dots of butter to the top.
• Bake in a hot oven for 30 minutes. Potatoes should be cooked through and tender, with a crusty top.
• Serve.