One-pot chicken and lentil stew
Serve with steamed greens and creamy mashed potatoes. This recipe leaves the chicken skin intact as a seal for all the delicious spices which flavour the meat. Loosening the skin from the flesh is a fiddly task, however the end result is worth every effort. Serves 4-6.
Ingredients:
- 1 large organic chicken, roughly 1.5kg
- 200g puy lentils
- 2 tbsp cumin powder
- 2 tsp pink salt
- 2 tsp cracked black pepper
- 2 tsp chilli flakes
- 2 unwaxed lemons, halved
- 6 bay leaves
- 1 litre of water
Method:
- Loosen the chicken skin from the flesh by sliding your hand between them. The easiest place to do this is around the neck cavity. Use a small knife if necessary to cut any small sinews. Cut a small slit in the skin of each thigh and use your fingers to separate the skin from the flesh.
- Mix together the salt, pepper, cumin and chilli in a small bowl. Pull back the chicken skin and rub the spice mixture into the flesh underneath the skin, then pat the skin back into place. Insert two lemon halves into the cavity, then add the chicken, bay leaves and the remaining lemon halves to a large casserole dish.
- Add the lentils and water to the pan, then cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and allow to cook on a low heat for 2 hours until the chicken is soft and falling off the bone and the lentils are tender.