Chicken- slow cooked with potatoes, garlic, bacon, wine and thyme

We stumbled over this recipe as we were very surprised at the cost of a whole roast chicken in our local supermarket (between 8-17 euros) and bought a raw one to cook ourselves. Instead of roasting it, we found another option so we could cycle whilst it cooked. We have adapted this from a Simon Hopkinson pot roast chicken recipe (on the stove with vermouth) to be a mouth watering slow cooked whole chicken in white wine (as well as all of those other things mentioned in the title) Remember – with slow cooking, less is more!

Serves 4.

Foodstuff you will need: 

1 whole chicken – 1.5kg  (with giblets but no stuffing)

2 tablespoons of olive oil

50g butter

250g cubed pancetta

12 cloves of garlic – peeled and left whole

2-3 large splashes of white wine

1kg potatoes peeled and cut into large chunks

5-6 springs of fresh thyme

300ml good chicken stock

Salt and pepper

Equipment:

Large Slow cooker – big enough to take the whole chicken resting on a bed of potatoes

Large pot with lid – big enough to take the whole chicken

Hob

Forks or tongs to turn chicken around in pot without burning your fingers

Measuring jug and kettle to boil and measure stock

Chopping board and knife

Plate to rest chicken

How to throw it together

Melt butter with olive oil in the large pot

Season the chicken inside and all over with salt and pepper

Place chicken inside pot with lid on.

Turn it regularly to brown it on all sides

Remove and place on a plate to rest

Turn on slow cooker to HIGH

Put the pancetta and garlic into the pot to brown. Allow to sizzle and brown slightly before adding the white wine. This mixture will froth and splutter a bit.

Add the potatoes to this fatty residue and stir until well coated.

Remove from heat and transfer contents of pot into slow cooker

Add chicken stock  and thyme sprigs to the slow cooker

Add whole chicken to the slow cooker – it should be able to nestle easily into the potatoes

Put on lid of slow cooker and cook on HIGH for at least 5 hours

Potatoes should be tender and chicken well cooked so it falls off the bones easily.

When ready, lift the chicken out of the slow cooker onto a plate to carve / debone before serving.

Spoon some of the potatoes together with the juices around each serving.

Great with green beans.