pot roast chicken

Pot Roast Chicken

2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 rashers streaky unsmoked bacon, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 leeks, washed and sliced into rounds
2kg chicken
300ml chicken stock
4 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaves
8 small carrots, scrubbed

Preheat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4). Heat the oil in a large, heatproof casserole dish over medium heat and cook the bacon, garlic and leeks, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes or until the leeks has softened.

Add the chicken to the casserole, breast-side up, and pour in the stock to a depth of 2cm . Tuck in the thyme, bay leaf and  season the chicken with a little salt and pepper. Cover tightly with foil or with a lid, and cook in the oven for 1 hour 10 minutes, basting occasionally with the pan juices. Remove the lid add the carrots and return to the oven for a further 20 minutes.

Remove the chicken and vegetables to a warm dish. Skim any fat off the pan juices. Remove the thyme and bay leaves and transfer the sauce to a jug. Serve the chicken and vegetables with the sauce. Serves 4-6