As you know, I’m a fan of batch cooking. Both of us work full time and often work late and away from home. You probably know from your own lives how tempting it is to grab a McDonalds or order a takeaway during the week, after all, you get home and want to flop on the sofa, not start cooking! So, by batch cooking, I can keep the naughty food at bay and avoid spending too much time in the kitchen after a long day at work. This baked chicken is filling and moreish.
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This one pot baked chicken recipe is another one from my good old ‘Dinner in the Freezer‘ book. I did this in my cast iron casserole dish, the flavours really intensify because of the slow cooking and when you reheat, it tastes even better. Funny how some dishes taste better the next day (or in this case, the next week!).

Ingredients: (serves 4)

  • 8 pieces chicken, skin on
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 6 rashers streaky bacon, chopped
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped
  • 3 sticks celery, finely chopped
  • 3 carrots, finely chopped
  • 1 small dry white wine
  • 400g peeled whole plum tomatoes, chopped
  • 300ml hot vegetable stock
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 pinch pepper

Method: 

  • Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas 6). Season the chicken well with salt and black pepper, then dust with the flour.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large flameproof casserole (preferably a cast-iron one) over a high heat. Add the chicken pieces, skin-side down, together with the bacon, and cook the chicken for 5–8 minutes on each side until everything is golden. Remove from the pan, and set aside.
  • Reduce the heat to low, and add the remaining oil to the casserole with the onion and a pinch of salt. Sweat for about 5 minutes until soft, then add the garlic, celery, and carrots. Sweat for a further 5–6 minutes until soft.
  • Increase the heat to high once again, and add the wine. Let boil for a few minutes until the alcohol has evaporated. Tip in the tomatoes and their juices, and pour in the stock. Gently boil for a few minutes more. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and return the chicken and bacon to the casserole. Stir through, cover, and transfer to the oven to cook for about 1 hour. Top up with more stock or hot water if it begins to dry out.

Browning the chicken and baconRemove the Chicken and saute carrots, onion and celery Glass of wine ready for the casserole
Stirring the onion, garlic and tomato sauce

Freezing instructions:

Leave to cool, then transfer to a seal-able freezerproof container, making sure the chicken is completely covered by sauce. Freeze for up to 3 months.

To serve, defrost overnight in the fridge, then transfer to a casserole dish, cover, reheat in the oven (180C/35F/Gas Mark 4) for 30-40 mins or until piping hot. Add a little hot water or stock if the casserole is drying out. Serve with mash or rice.

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