Pot Roast Chicken with Chorizo, Leeks & Cider

It was my parents 41st wedding anniversary this past weekend and to celebrate I said I would cook them Sunday lunch.  I wanted something quick and easy yet still spectacular and this recipe from Rick Stein's Spain fitted the bill completely.

Pot Roasted Chicken with Chorizo, Leeks and Cider

Serves 4

1.75kg FR chicken

2 tbs olive oil

2 Chorizo cooking sausages, sliced

50g butter

700g leeks, sliced

300g baby carrots (I used chartenay), cleaned, topped and tailed

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Fresh thyme, 2 sprigs worth of leaves
2 fresh bay leaves
200ml dry cider (I used 300ml to get more sauce)
S&P

Set oven to 160oc/GM3.  Season chicken.  Heat oil in large lidded pan/casserole dish.  Brown the chicken all over, remove from pan.

Lower the heat and add to the pan the chorizo, butter, leeks, garlic, carrots, thyme and bay.  Cover and cook for 5 mins, until the leeks have softened.

Place the chicken back on top of the veg.  Pour over the cider, re-cover and pop in the oven for 1 hour.  Uncover and increase the oven temp to 200oc/GM6 and continue to cook for another 20 mins.

Remove from oven and lift the chicken out onto a serving plate, cover with foil and rest.

Place the veg on to the hob and at a fast simmer, bubble away for 5 mins to reduce the sauce, at this point it should be a lovely orange colour and will have thickened naturally, season with S&P if needed, we found the taste had really come together and concentrated.

Spoon the sauce around the chicken and serve with boiled new potatoes and green beans.

I really cannot believe how tender and juicy the chicken was, how intense the flavour of the veg/chorizo were with so few ingredients, it was a very special dish and utterly enjoyed by all.