Chicken broth, veg & pesto

Name: Chicken broth, veg & pesto
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 6

With seasonal greens, baby turnips, carrots & fennel

“This dish always feels like such a celebration of food – a real harvest festival – but it couldn't be any simpler to make. Whole chicken, chunky veg, and an hour and a half of slow poaching creates a wonderful clean pick-me-up broth. It's the perfect dish to help you reflect the seasons, but always remains exciting, delicious and healthy. With a dollop of homemade walnut pesto on the side, you've got an incredibly satisfying bowl of food. ”

Serves 6

Cooks In2 hours

DifficultyNot too tricky

Jamie's Comfort Food Chicken

Nutrition per serving

Calories 494 25%
Fat 29.1g 42%
Saturates 6.7g 34%
Sugars 14.8g 16%
Salt 1.4g 23%
Protein 42.9g 86%
Carbs 16.3g 6%
Fibre 9.4g -

Of an adult's reference intake

Jamie's Comfort Food

By Jamie Oliver

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Ingredients

1 x 1.6kg whole free-range chicken
2 bulbs of fennel
1 celery heart
6 carrots
6 baby turnips
2 large handfuls of seasonal greens (any combination of Swiss chard, kale, cabbage, Brussels tops, spinach, spring greens)
1 bunch of mixed fresh herbs, such as flat-leaf parsley, mint, thyme (30g)
PESTO
1 clove of garlic
1 handful of shelled walnuts
1 bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley and tarragon (30g)
50g Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon jarred or fresh grated horseradish
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

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Jamie's Comfort Food

By Jamie Oliver

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Method

Put the chicken into a large deep casserole pan. Trim and halve the fennel bulbs and celery heart, peel the carrots, trim the turnips and add to the pan. Pour in enough cold water to cover everything and add 1 teaspoon of sea salt.
Place on a medium-high heat and bring to a simmer – this will take about 15 minutes – then reduce to a low heat and leave to tick away for 1 hour 15 minutes, skimming the surface when necessary. Bringing it to a simmer from cold gives you nice clarity in your broth, and by not boiling, but simmering, you ensure the meat is really tender and juicy.
Meanwhile, to make the pesto, peel the garlic and smash up with the walnuts in a pestle and mortar. Pick and finely chop or bash the parsley and tarragon leaves, grate the cheese, add both to the mortar with the horseradish, vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, then muddle and mix together, and season to taste.
When your broth is ready, add the seasonal greens and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until they're done. Now I've got a really exciting way for you to perfect the flavour with all the delicate, light perfume of fresh herbs. First of all, tie up your bunch of mixed herbs. Have a slurp of the broth, think about it, then dip the herb bunch in for 10 seconds, remove it and taste again. Keep repeating this process until the broth is flavoured to your liking (just like dunking a teabag). The mix of herbs and the size of the bunch will of course affect the flavour, so by removing it every 10 seconds you're in control of how perfumed or intense you make it. Adjust the seasoning if required.
To serve, carefully lift the chicken (don't worry if it falls apart) and veg out of the broth into a large warm bowl. Using a little board and a knife, cut the larger veg up into chunks and distribute between warm bowls, followed by the leafy greens. Use tongs to tear away chunks of meat and add to the bowls, discarding the skin. Ladle over the hot, delicious broth and finish each portion with a generous dollop of walnut pesto. This is delicious served with a pot of mustard and a loaf of crusty bread on the side.