An easy chicken stew recipe is a January staple.

For four people, you will need:

One free-range chicken, small-medium size (preferably organic)
1 red onion
2 cloves of garlic
4 carrots
4 leeks
8 potatoes (Charlotte potatoes are lovely)
4 tsp of good-quality stock

Pop your chicken into the oven for roasting. Drizzle with olive oil.

After an hour of cooking, turn the chicken upside down (obviously depending on the size and weight of chicken – if it’s a large one it will need longer!) and sprinkle with dried herbs and put back in the oven for about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare your vegetables. Chop the leeks into small cubes and carrots into batons and wash them. Peel and quarter the potatoes and set to one side.

When the chicken is cooked, remove from the oven and carefully de-bone it and put the meat onto a plate. Try to keep the chicken pieces as large as you can, otherwise you’ll be making a chicken soup!

Soften the red onion and garlic in a little olive oil in a large saucepan and add the chicken pieces.

Fry the chicken with the onions and garlic on a high heat, turning it to seal it and caramelise it all!

Cover the chicken with boiling water.

Add your chopped leeks and carrots and stock and a little more water until the vegetables are simmering nicely.

Steamy! Cover with the saucepan lid.

Bring a medium sized saucepan to the boil and cook your quartered potatoes.

Check the chicken stew, stir it and maybe add a little more stock if you’ve had to top up with additional water.

After an hour of the stew a-stewing, mash the potatoes and serve!

Bliss!