Chicken Hotpot Hugs

Sometimes, after a long week or a hectic weekend, there’s nothing better than sitting down to a comforting hotpot. These all-in-one-pot dishes are super simple to put together and there’s not much to wash up after.

I made mine with leeks, bacon, potatoes and carrots and let it cook in the oven for 35 minutes. What came out was a delicious stew that made our Sunday night supper a delight.

What you need for a Chicken Hotpot for 4

4 large free-range chicken legs on the bone – M&S do these but unfortunately I haven’t seen anywhere doing free-range Irish chicken legs. If you can’t find chicken legs, try this with a selection of free-range thighs or drumsticks, it’ll be just as good. I wouldn’t recommend chicken breasts as they’re, well, dull. But also they don’t come out as well after a long cooking time.

2 leeks, washed well and chopped

2 rashers of good quality bacon

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

100ml of white wine

4 or 5 regular sized potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks

3 or 4 carrots, peeled and chopped into chunks

500lm good chicken stock

Salt and pepper – I used the Cornish Salt Company’s chilli salt which is great for seasoning with a kick

Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees C.

Start by heating a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of oil in an oven-proof casserole dish. If you don’t have one, you can do this first step in a frying pan and then transfer to an oven dish.

Brown your chicken legs well until they have a lovely golden colour. You’ll probably have to do two legs at a time – don’t crowd your pot! This will take ten minutes or so for each leg. Once browned, remove from pot and set aside.

In the same pot, fry your leeks over a medium heat for about 8-10 minutes until starting to brown. Now add your bacon and garlic and cook for a further 5 minutes, until your bacon has gone a little golden. Now add your glass of white wine. Cook until completely evaporated, which will take about another ten minutes.

Once evaporated, add your carrots and potatoes. Mix everything well. Now add your chicken legs back to the pot and season everything really well. Now add your stock. You’ll have two chicken legs sitting on top, not quite covered by the stock. That’s fine as it will allow them to get an even more golden cover in the oven.

Cook uncovered in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Check on it a few times and pour some of the stock over the top chicken legs, to stop from burning.

Check that the chicken is ready by piercing the skin. If the juices run clear, your dinner is done!