Poached Chicken with Lemon and Garlic
Serves 3 1/2-4 quarts stock
"If you cook something simple like a poached chicken, you can roll it into two meals, like my Chicken and Snap Pea Soup with Leeks and Mushroom, Asparagus, Chicken Sauté with Rice Pilaf. These meals are perfect for springtime into early summer." –RR
Ingredients
- 1 leek, trimmed, washed and quartered
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 onion, quartered
- 2 ribs celery with leafy tops, quartered
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- Parsley stems or sprigs and some reserved carrot tops
- 1 4-5-pound chicken
- 5-6 black peppercorns
- Kosher salt
Directions
- Place the vegetables, garlic, lemon and herbs in a pot with the chicken. Add enough water to just cover the bird and bring to a boil. Add the peppercorns and salt; reduce the heat to a low rolling boil or gentle simmer. Poach the chicken for 60 minutes, turning occasionally.
- Cool completely in the stock before removing chicken. Discard the bones and skin, then pull the chicken into bite-size pieces. Divide the meat into two piles.
- Strain the stock and pour back into the pot; keep warm.