THE CANNY COOK: One-pot roasted chicken with white wine and cannellini beans
I love the tradition of a Sunday roast as much as the next person, but I think we can agree that there's just no place for it in the middle of summer. On a warm day, no one wants the oven blazing for hours, and the mad juggle that takes place 20 minutes before serving (the carving, finishing the gravy and plating the trimmings) is even less appealing in a hot kitchen.
As an alternative, I've taken to pot-roasting. It's a brilliant all-in-one way to cook a joint or a whole bird, keeping the meat lovely and tender and creating lots of cooking juices in the process. It's great for tougher cuts like topside or brisket, which are much cheaper than a rib of beef.
And I find that pot-roasting a chicken is an effective way to keep the breast meat nice and juicy, which I rarely achieve when roasting.
This week's recipe is a delightfully simple affair, teaming the chicken with white beans and shallots, though you could pile in all sorts of vegetables – wedges of fennel and baby carrots, or swap the beans for new potatoes. I would also recommend stuffing the chicken with half a lemon and a handful of thyme, if you have them. Browning the bird at the start is probably the most arduous task, but it's worth it so you can enjoy the skin, too.
METHOD
Thirty minutes before cooking, take the chicken out of the fridge and season inside and out with salt.
Put a large casserole (I use a 29cm oval Le Creuset, roughly 5 litres in volume) over a medium heat. Rub the chicken all over with 1 tbsp olive oil and brown in the pan, turning it every 3-4 minutes until the skin is as evenly golden as possible all over. Lift out and set aside on a plate.
Add the peeled and halved shallots to the pan (along with a few unpeeled garlic cloves if you have them). Fry with a good pinch of salt for 4-5 minutes.
Pour in the wine and leave to bubble for 2-3 minutes, then add 200ml chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Sit the chicken back in the pan, breast-side up, and add the drained and rinsed beans. Cover with the lid and cook over a low heat for 50 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Take off the heat and leave to stand for 10-20 minutes before lifting the chicken out to carve. Serve in bowls with the brothy beans. Crusty bread, mustardy mayonnaise and a green salad make good accompaniments.
Do you have a great recipe for eating well and cutting food bills? Email editor@you.co.uk. If we print it here, we'll send you a bottle of champagne
*This cost assumes you already have some basic store-cupboard ingredients. prices taken from aldi and correct at time of going to press.
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