Advent Chicken

Advent Chicken

Wash hands thoroughly before and after touching raw meat, as well as before and after cooking.

"An army marches on its stomach!" - Napoleon Bonaparte

Ingredients:

Organic Free Range Chicken cut into fillets/legs/thighs 600g

One organic leek

Half a dozen organic carrots

A few organic apples

Organic black peppercorns

Organic tarragon

A couple of organic cloves.

300g rice

One organic red cabbage

Organic cider vinegar

Organic cardamom

Organic vanilla essence

Salt

Olive oil

Serves four people. Cooking and preparation time 45-50 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200-220 degrees centigrade

Wash apples and vegetables thoroughly, removing any dirt and prepare by peeling carrots, and removing outer layers from cabbage and leek and cutting off the ends of the leek.

Placed chopped carrots and leek on the base of a baking tray, using tin foil to line the tray.

Core apples and insert a clove into the hole then add to baking tray.

Place chicken on top in the backing tray.

Add salt, some peppercorns, a sprinkling of tarragon then drizzle with a few drops of olive oil. Place in oven for 35-45 minutes.

Rinse rice thoroughly. Boil 1 litre of water in kettle. Add salt, a cardamom and a drop of vanilla essence to pan. Add rinsed rice. When water boiled add twice as much water to pan as rice (about 600ml) to pan on a high heat and partially cover and bring to the boil.

Chop up cabbage into manageable pieces. Place in pan with salt and a dash of vinegar, add remaining boiled water. Transfer violently boiling rice onto another hob at lower heat, cover pan fully and simmer until all water is absorbed or boiled off. Place cabbage on high heat hob and boil for 7-10 minutes.

Once rice is cooked turn off heat and leave to settle for 5 minutes then fluff up before serving. Once cabbage is cooked turn off heat and allow to settle. Once chicken is cooked turn off heat and allow dish to settle in oven for 10 minutes. Add plates to oven to allow them to warm up. Set table, serve drinks then plate up and serve warm with about half an apple for each piece of chicken as a sauce.

800-1000 calories per portion. Should cost about £7-8 in total for meal for four. Suggested side dish: bacon sandwich and pork sausages with extra apple, peanut butter and chocolate hazelnut spread on toast. Can serve with light wine, organic lager beer or spirits.