SLOW-BRAISED CHICKEN WITH LEEK, ROSEMARY AND CHEDDAR DUMPLINGS

Slowly cooking your chicken ensures it stays succulent, and your dumplings will soak up maximum flavour by steaming alongside it in the braising liquid.

Hands-on time 30min. Cooking time 2hr 30min. Serves 4

1tbsp olive oil 1 medium free-range chicken, about 1.5kg (3lb ¼oz) 200g pack smoked bacon lardons 400g (14oz) leeks, thickly sliced 2 sticks celery, sliced 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 bay leaves 250ml (9fl oz) dry white wine 300g (11oz) Chantenay carrots, or normal carrots cut into large chunks 300g (11oz) baby parsnips, peeled and quartered lengthways 350ml (12fl oz) hot chicken stock for the dumplings 125g (4oz) self-raising flour 1tsp English mustard powder 25g (1oz) cold butter, cubed 1tsp very finely chopped rosemary leaves 1tbsp finely chopped parsley, plus extra to serve 25g (1oz) mature Cheddar cheese, grated 2tbsp natural yogurt Buttered seasonal green veg, to serve

1 Preheat the oven to 140°C (120°C fan) mark 1. Heat the oil to high in a large frying pan big enough to fit your chicken. When hot, add the chicken, breast-side down, and sear, turning a couple of times, until golden all over. Remove and set aside on a plate. Discard any fat in the pan.

2 Add the lardons, fry until crisp and golden. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon, discarding most of the fat. Reduce the heat to medium, add the leeks and fry for 10min until tender and just golden, then remove about a quarter of them and set aside on a plate (roughly chop and reserve

these for the dumplings). Increase the heat to high, return the lardons to the pan with the celery, garlic, bay leaves and wine, bring to boil and simmer for a couple of min. Transfer to a large roasting tin.

3 Sit the chicken in the roasting tin, breast-side up, and nestle the carrots and parsnips around it. Season. Place the roasting tin over the heat on the hob, pour over the hot stock and bring to the boil, cover tightly with foil and cook in the oven for 1hr 15min.

4 Meanwhile, make the dumplings: mix the flour, mustard powder and ½tsp fine salt in a bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips, then stir in the reserved cooked leek, rosemary, parsley and cheese. Add the yogurt, 2tbsp cold water and mix well to combine. Divide into 8 dumplings, about 40g (1½oz) each.

5 After 1hr 15 min, remove the casserole from the oven. Dot the dumplings around the chicken ensuring they are partly submerged. Re-cover with foil and return to the oven for a further 45min, uncovering for the final 15min until cooked through – the juices should run clear when a skewer is inserted into the thickest part of the leg.

6 Lift the chicken out on to a board and carve – it should be very tender. Serve the casserole in bowls, topped with the sliced chicken, buttered greens and extra parsley, if you like.

PER SERVING 956cals, 63g protein, 52g fat (16g saturates), 41g carbs (12g total sugars), 10g fibre.