This recipe is one I learnt from my
Scottish grandmother, and is based on a meal her grandmother used to prepare for her. It is a really good one to cook if you aren't sure what time you are going to eat, as it really doesn't matter how long it is left in the
oven provided the casserole lid is left on.
Ingredients
6 chicken thighs, or breast quarters
6 decent sized potatoes
2 onions
1 pint of fresh chicken stock
2-3 cloves of garlic
25g butter
decent sized bunch of fresh thyme
Firstly, melt the butter in a heavy frying pan, and brown off the chicken portions. After about 10 minutes or so, remove the chicken from the heat, and retain the pan liquid
Peel the potatoes, and slice them into 5-10 mm slivers, and then use half of them to layer the bottom of a high sided casserole. Slice the onions into rings and again use half of them to lay these over the potatoes. Chop the thyme and sprinkle half over the onions.
Place the browned chicken on top of the onion and potato base, and then sprinkle the remaining thyme and onion, and the whole garlic cloves over the top. Lay the remaining potatoes over the contents of the casserole and then pour the chicken stock over the entire concotion. Brush the pan juices onto the potato 'lid', then cover and place in a warm oven (Gas Mark 2-3) and cook for about 1 1/2 hrs. After this time remove the casserole lid and cook for another 1/2 hour to let the potatoes brown.
I usually serve this with spinach or, for those that don't like it, peas