Name: Poule au pot with stuffing balls & garlic cream
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 40 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1 ½kg chicken; 300ml white wine; 1 onion peeled but left whole; 3 cloves; 1 bouquet garni (tied bundle of herbs); 2 garlic cloves; 12 small potatoes; 4 carrots cut into 5cm lengths; 2 turnips cut into wedges; 3 leeks cut into 5cm lengths; roughly chopped parsley to serve; 200g lean minced pork; 100g streaky bacon cut into dice; 100g chicken livers finely chopped; 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 shallots diced; 2 garlic cloves crushed; 1 egg beaten; handful parsley leaves, chopped; 100g fresh white breadcrumbs; 3 garlic cloves left whole; 200ml tub crème fraîche

Poule au pot with stuffing balls & garlic cream

1 ½kg chicken
300ml white wine
1 onion
peeled but left whole
3 cloves
1 bouquet garni
(tied bundle of herbs)
2 garlic cloves
12 small potatoes
4 carrots
cut into 5cm lengths
2 turnips
cut into wedges
3 leeks
cut into 5cm lengths
roughly chopped parsley
to serve

For the stuffing balls

200g lean minced pork
100g streaky bacon
cut into dice
100g chicken livers
finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots
diced
2 garlic cloves
crushed
1 egg
beaten
handful parsley
leaves, chopped
100g fresh white breadcrumbs

For the garlic cream

3 garlic cloves
left whole
200ml tub crème fraîche

Method

step 1
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the chicken in a flameproof casserole dish and pour over 600ml water and the wine. Stud the onion with the cloves. Add to the pan with the bouquet garni, garlic and seasoning, then bring to the boil. Cover and put in the oven for 1½ hrs.
step 2
To make the garlic cream, simmer the unpeeled garlic cloves in a small pan of water for 30 mins until soft. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out into a bowl and mash with salt and pepper. Stir in the crème fraîche and tip into a bowl, then keep in the fridge until needed.
step 3
For the stuffing, mix the meats in a bowl. Heat the oil in a small pan and gently fry the shallots and garlic until softened but not browned. Add to the bowl with the egg, parsley, breadcrumbs, seasoning, then mix well. Shape into 18 balls and put in a shallow baking tray.
step 4
Remove chicken after 1½ hrs and put it on the hob on medium heat. Place the stuffing in the oven for 25-30 mins until browned and crisp. Add the vegetables to the chicken pot. Cook for 25-30 mins, then lift out the chicken to a plate and keep the veg warm in the stock.
step 5
Remove chicken’s skin, and break the flesh into chunks. Put on a warm platter with the stuffing and the veg. Add a ladle of cooking stock and the parsley. Serve the rest of the cooking juices in a jug.