Mustard Chicken With Winter Vegetables (with Freezing)

Total Time: 2 hrs 10 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 (4 lb) whole chickens
• 2 onions
• 6 celery ribs
• 6 carrots
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 2 ounces butter
• 4 ounces smoked bacon, lardons
• 3 small turnips, peeled and cut into wedges
• 1 tablespoon plain flour
• 2 tablespoons coarse grain mustard
• 3 tablespoons creme fraiche or 3 tablespoons sour cream
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped

Recipe

• 1 put the chicken in a large pot.
• 2 halve 1 onion, 1 celery stick, and 1 carrot. add to the pot with the herbs, pepercorns and a sprinkling of salt.
• 3 add water to come halfway up the chicken, bring to the boil, then cover tightly and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
• 4 cool slightly, remove the chicken to a dish, then strain the stock into a bowl.
• 5 when the chicken is cool enough to handle, strip the meat from the bones and tear into pieces with your hands.
• 6 chop the remaining onion and cut the celery and carrots into thick slices.
• 7 heat the butter in the same pot, add the onion and the bacon lardons, then gently fry for 5 minutes until just starting to brown.
• 8 add the remaining veg, then fry for 2 minutes.
• 9 stir in the flour, then cook for 1 minute.
• 10 measure 30 fluid ounces of stock (if you don't have enough make it up with water), then gradually add to the pan, stirring.
• 11 cover, then simmer for 20-25 minutes until vegetables are tender,.
• 12 return the chicken to the pan with the mustard and creme fraiche or sour cream , then return to a simmer, stirring gently.
• 13 season and sprinkle with parsley.
• 14 freezing instructions: cool, then pack into a rigid container. freeze for up to 1 month. defrost in the fridge overnight, then gently reheat. bring to the boil before serving.