Chicken Hotpot

For a tasty all-in-one baked dish, try this potato-topped chicken, scallion and pea hotpot. Great way to get kids to eat more veggies!

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 (3 1/2lb)  whole chickens
• 1  tablespoon  drippings or 1  tablespoon butter
• 2  bunches scallions, white part only, sliced lengthways in half
• 3  carrots, sliced
• 3  ounces butter, melted
• 3  ounces  frozen peas
• 2 1⁄2 cups  chicken stock, boiling
• 1  garlic clove, crushed
• 1  lb potato, peeled and sliced
• 1  tablespoon parsley, chopped
•  salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F
2. Joint the chicken into 8 pieces. Heat the dripping or butter in a frying pan, add the chicken and colour on both sides to seal - you may have to do this in batches.
3. Remove from the pan and put in an ovenproof casserole dish.
4. In the same frying pan, melt 1/4 of the butter over a medium heat. Tip in the carrots and scallions and cook without colouring for about 3-5 minutes.
5. Scatter the carrots, scallions, peas and crushed garlic over the chicken. Pour on the hot stock and season.
6. Coat the potatoes with 1/2 of the melted butter and place half the potatoes over the chicken to make a level topping; season to taste. Carefully lay the rest of the potatoes decoratively on top.
7. Brush with the remaining melted butter. Bake for 15 minutes and then reduce the heat to 375°F Cook for a further hour, brushing with butter regularly. If the potatoes begin to brown too much, cover with kitchen foil.
8. Remove the hot pot from the oven, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with cold pickled red cabbage.