Don’t throw away the chicken bones! Pop them in a reusable bag or container and store in the freezer, ready to transform into the most delicious chicken stock that’s perfect for risottos, soup or ramen.
Jamie's Feast For A Fiver
By Jamie Oliver
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1 hr
Not Too Tricky
serves 4
About the recipe
This gorgeous hotpot reminds me of good times as a kid – coming in cold from a walk to a warming, comforting meal. I’m pulling out so much flavour from the chicken, and using frozen mushrooms to deliver deep, umami flavour on a budget. You’ve got to give it a go!
Recipe From
Ingredients
4 chicken thighs, skin on, bone in
2 onions
olive oil
red wine vinegar
250g frozen mushrooms
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
2 heaped teaspoons English mustard
1 chicken stock cube
40g plain flour
500ml semi-skimmed milk
200g frozen spinach
2 large all-rounder potatoes (400g)
1 sweetheart cabbage
200g frozen peas
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
- Pull the skin off the chicken and place it in a medium shallow casserole pan on a medium heat to render, then remove to a small bowl.
- Carefully run the tip of a sharp knife along the thigh bone, then cut around the end of each bone to remove it (don’t throw the bones away – see tip). Chop the chicken into 2cm chunks.
- Turn the heat up to high, place the chicken in the pan, season with sea salt and black pepper, and fry for a few minutes, or until golden all over. Remove to a plate along with any juices.
- Peel and roughly chop 1 onion and place in the pan with 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar, scraping up any nice crispy bits from the bottom of the pan. Fry for a few minutes, then add the mushrooms and cook away for 5 minutes, or until the veg has softened.
- Add ½ a teaspoon of tarragon and 1 heaped teaspoon of mustard, crumble in the stock cube, then stir in the flour. Gradually add the milk, stirring until you have a smooth sauce. Add the chicken and juices back to the pan, then dot in the spinach and leave to blip away until defrosted, stirring regularly. Have a little taste and season to perfection.
- Scrub and finely slice the potatoes (there’s no need to peel them), arrange on top of the filling and press down with a fish slice to bring some of the lovely sauce to the surface. Bake for 40 minutes, or until beautifully golden.
- Roughly chop the crispy chicken skin. Place in a large frying pan on a medium heat with 1 tablespoon of oil and fry for 1 minute, then remove to a plate, leaving the oil behind.
- Quarter the cabbage lengthways and place in the pan, holding it down with tongs and turning occasionally until starting to char, then peel, finely slice and add the remaining onion. Add the remaining mustard, tip in 200ml of boiling water, then cover and cook on a low heat for 15 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender all the way through. Remove the lid, add the peas and cook for a final 2 minutes to heat through. Season to perfection.
- Scatter the remaining tarragon over the hotpot and sprinkle the crispy chicken skin over the greens. Bring it all to the table and tuck in!
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