Recipes serve four
POT-ROASTED CHICKEN WITH SAVOY CABBAGE AND PANCETTA
4 tbsp olive oil
1 chicken, organic if possible
1 tbsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 onion, peeled and finely sliced
1 Savoy cabbage, cored, trimmed and finely sliced
75g pancetta or dry-cure bacon
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
4 cloves
2 bay leaves
400ml chicken stock
4 tbsp cream
1 tbsp butter
Heat the olive oil and lightly colour the chicken all over. Place it breast side down in the pot, lower the heat right down, cover and pot roast for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken and keep it warm.
Add the mustard and fennel seeds to the oil and when they start to pop, add the onion and the cabbage. Toss gently, so everything is well coated in the oil and then add the pancetta, garlic, cloves, bay leaves and chicken stock. Cover and braise for 20 minutes or until the cabbage is tender.
Place the chicken, breast side down, on top of the cabbage. Cover the pot, transfer it to a preheated oven, 180 degrees/gas four and carry on cooking for a further 40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked. You need to check two or three times during the cooking, and add a glass of water if it is drying out.
Remove the chicken and keep it warm. Raise the heat and reduce the liquid in the cabbage to a syrupy consistency. Pour in the cream and reduce for a further five minutes. Whisk in the butter. Carve the chicken and serve it with the cabbage and plain potatoes.
CASSEROLE OF DUCK WITH SWEET PAPRIKA
4 duck legs
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp finely chopped shallots
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 sticks celery, peeled and diced
4 leeks, trimmed, washed and cut into 4cm lengths
100g pancetta, cut into lardons
1 tsp sweet paprika
glass white wine
glass port
300ml chicken stock
Gently colour the duck legs in the olive oil, then remove them and set aside. Add the shallots, carrots, celery, leeks and pancetta and saute gently for 10 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking.
Add the paprika. Stir and cook for two minutes before returning the duck legs to the pot. Add the wine and port, allow to bubble up and boil the alcohol away for five minutes. Add the chicken stock, lower the heat and simmer for 40 minutes uncovered, or until the duck is cooked.
Remove the duck legs once more, and keep them warm. Turn up the heat and reduce the sauce to a syrupy consistency, about 10 minutes. Serve with the duck and some plain boiled or baked potatoes.