Page title and description

Chicken
Poached chicken
Cook's notes
And if you really can't do without the crispy golden skin of a roast bird, combine the best of both worlds: try gentle poaching for an hour followed by a fifteen minute blast in a hot oven to crisp up the skin.Ingredients
- 1.8kg whole chicken
- 1-2 carrots, peeled
- 1 celery stick
- 1-2 leeks, trimmed
- bouquet garni
- few peppercorns
- salt - but no more than 1 tsp
Method
Prep time:
30 min
PT30M
Cooking time:
1h
30 min
PT1H30M
-
Step 1
Place the chicken in a large saucepan or casserole along with the veg and add sufficient water to cover. Add no more than a pinch of salt and a few whole peppercorns and bring to the boil. -
Step 2
Skim any impurities that rise to the surface and make sure that the chicken remains covered with water then reduce the heat to achieve a bare simmer. Simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes, making sure that the bird is always covered. -
Step 3
Remove stock veg 20 minutes before end of cooking and replace with serving veg of your choice. To check if the chicken is cooked through push a skewer into the thickest part of the thigh - there should be no pink juice. -
Step 4
Remove the chicken and vegetables from the broth to a warm dish. Discard chicken skin and carve. Divide chicken and vegetables between 4 warmed plates, and spoon over some broth. Good served with salsa verde and crusty bread.