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Poulet au pot (Chicken in a Pot)

You can change things around if you want, swapping out parsnips or rutabagas for the turnips. No whole cloves? Add a very tiny pinch of powdered cloves to the bouquet garni in the cheesecloth.
Regarding stock, some are salty so you may want to add less salt than indicated in step 3 (maybe 2 teaspoons) if you're using store-bought stock, and add more salt later if needed.
Since the vegetable will be cooking for a while, I cut them on the thick side. If you want them firmer, you can add them later in the cooking process.
Small or "boiling" onions (as they're sometimes called) are a bit of a task to peel but they can be dropped in a small saucepan of boiling water for about a minute, then drained and rinsed with cold water, which'll help the skins slip off. If you want to use regular onions, cut them into sixths or eighths.
I used a standard-sized chicken for this recipe, which was between 1.75-2kg (about 4-pounds) but you can use another size chicken. If it's much smaller or larger you can adjust the cooking time if necessary.
Course Main Course
Servings 4 servings
  • 1 medium onion
  • 3 whole cloves
  • 5 branches fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 whole chicken
  • 12 small boiling onions (or shallots), peeled
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 4 medium (250g) carrots , peeled, cut into 3/4-inch (2cm) batons
  • 1 medium (220g) turnip , peeled and cut into 1-inch (3cm) cubes
  • 1 tablespoon kosher or sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 10 small (400g) new potatoes ,
  • 1 quart (1L) water
  • 1 quart (1L) chicken stock, homemade or low-sodium (preferably)
  • 4-5 stalks of fresh parsley, plus additional chopped parsley for garnish
  • Make a bouquet garni by studding the onion with the cloves. Wrap them in a piece of cheesecloth or muslin along with the thyme and bay leaves, and tie them in securely with twine.
  • Heat the olive oil and butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When hot, place the chicken in it, breast side down and cook without moving it until the breast is golden brown, then turn the chicken to brown the chicken on the two thigh & leg sides, which'll take about 15 minutes. (You may need to prop the chicken against the side of the pot to hold it in place while you brown the sides.) If you have a little extra time, you can also brown the bottom.
  • Once browned, remove the chicken from the pot, place it on a plate, and add the onions to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, turnip, and salt, along with some freshly ground pepper, and cook for another minute or two, stirring frequently. Put the chicken in the pot along with the bouquet garni. Place the potatoes around the chicken, tuck the parsley sprigs in next to the chicken and add the water and stock so it covers about three-quarters of the chicken. If you need more liquid, add additional water or stock.
  • Cover and bring the pot to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a steady, but gentle simmer, with the lid partially opened. Cook for about 1 hour, until the chicken is tender and cooked through, as are the vegetables. Taste for salt and add more if desired.

Notes

Serving: Garnish each serving with chopped parsley.