Ingredients
- 2 large onions
- 1-2 leeks
- 4 celery stalks
- 4 carrots
- 1 bulb of garlic
- 1 x 1.7 kg free-range chicken
- 3-4 fresh bay leaves
- 3 sprigs of fresh tarragon
- 1 large bunch of fresh parsley (or just stalks if you’re using leaves for something else)
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Method
- Peel and halve the onions, then chop the leeks, celery and carrots into large chunks. Halve the garlic bulb around the equator.
- Put all the ingredients in a large pan with a pinch of sea salt, then cover with cold water.
- Place on the hob over a medium heat and bring just to the boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer, skimming off any scum that rises to the top.
- Simmer gently for about 1 hour, or until the juices run clear when you pierce the meat.
- Remove the bird from the pan and bubble the poaching liquid for 40 minutes, or until reduced by about one-third (to add more flavour, you could strip the meat from the chicken and return the bones to the stock, too).
- Sieve the stock, then store in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Source: Jamie Oliver