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pot roasted chicken

Pot-Roasted Chicken with Braised Broad Beans, Lettuce and Wild Chicory by Irina Georgescu

This delicious pot-roasted chicken is a perfect addition to your traditional weekend roast. It brings together ingredients that are making a comeback in Romanian cuisine, such as broad (fava) beans and chicory (endive). While wild chicory grows along the roadsides of southern Romania, this recipe uses rocket, which is easier to find.

This recipe is taken from Danube: Recipes and Stories from Eastern Europe, the new cookbook by award-winning writer, Irina Georgescu, which is published this week on 16th January.

With over 80 extraordinary recipes for everyday cooking – many focusing on vegetables, beans and pulses without meat – this cookbook is a testament to the diverse cultures of Romania, Serbia and Bulgaria in those border regions shaped by the Danube.

Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour 30 minutes


Ingredients

For the Chicken and Vegetables

  • Oil, for cooking
  • 1.5 kg (3 lb 5 oz) whole chicken
  • 100 ml (3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup) dry white wine
  • 400 ml (13 fl oz/generous 1½ cups) chicken stock
  • 2 medium brown onions, peeled and quartered
  • 4 medium garlic cloves
  • 2 thin rosemary sprigs
  • 3–4 small thyme sprigs
  • 250 g (9 oz) broad (fava) beans, frozen or fresh, shelled
  • 2 romaine lettuce hearts, trimmed and cut into wide ribbons
  • 100 g (3½ oz) chicory (endive), puntarelle, or rocket (arugula) leaves
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Mashed Potatoes

  • 4 medium potatoes, washed
  • 50 g (2 oz) unsalted butter
  • 50 g (2 oz/scant ¼ cup) crème fraîche
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Method

1. Prepare and Cook the Chicken

  1. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan (310°F).
  2. Heat a thin layer of oil in a large casserole dish with a lid (approximately 23 cm/9 in in diameter and 10 cm/4 in deep).
  3. Brown the chicken on all sides until lightly golden.
  4. Turn the chicken breast side up and add the wine, stock, onions, garlic, and herbs to the dish.
  5. Cover with the lid and place in the oven for 1 hour 20 minutes.

2. Make the Mashed Potatoes

  1. After 1 hour, dice the potatoes, leaving the skin on.
  2. Place them in a deep pan, cover with water, and bring to a boil.
  3. Cook for 20 minutes until soft, then drain and return to the pan over low heat to let excess moisture evaporate.
  4. Add the butter, crème fraîche, and salt, then mash until smooth.
  5. Cover the pan and keep warm until serving.

3. Finish the Vegetables

  1. Carefully remove the chicken from the casserole dish, place it on a plate or chopping board, and wrap in kitchen foil to keep warm.
  2. Add the broad beans, lettuce hearts, and chicory (or rocket) to the stock in the pan.
  3. Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, for 10 minutes. (Alternatively, you can do this step on the stove over low heat—just be sure to use oven gloves, as the dish will be hot.)
  4. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.

4. Serve

  1. Carve the chicken and serve with the braised beans and greens.
  2. Spoon generous amounts of the stock over the mashed potatoes, and enjoy!

You can see more on Danube: Recipes and Stories from Eastern Europe published by Hardie Grant here.

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