Monday chuck (Australian – chicken!)

I mentioned in “Congratulations on your new slow cooker – a marriage made in heaven!” post that rules are made to be broken. The following recipe goes against all the slow cooking principles I've been banging on about. I promise you this works.

Slow cooked whole chicken

and Velouté sauce

1.5kg chicken

1 chicken stock pot/cube

generous sprinkle of mixed herbs or

garlic Italian seasoning

2 tsps of garlic paste

Place your chicken in the slow cooker and, if you are using a stock pot, mix the garlic and stock together and spread over the chicken. Sprinkle with herbs. Switch your slow cooker on low and leave it for 8 hours.

The resultant juices give you approximately half a pint (300ml) of stock. Strain the stock, cover and refrigerate until cold, ready for your sauce.

A Velouté sauce is one of the “Mother Sauces” - a light white sauce made with stock and a roux – a Velouté is used as a base for a Sauce Supreme – my “take” on the Sauce Supreme is below

You'll need:

300ml of stock as mentioned above

15g unsalted butter

15g plain flour

½ tsp Dijon mustard

200ml double cream

salt and black pepper

Melt the butter, take the pan off the heat, add the flour and whisk. Return to the heat and cook out the flour for 2/3 mins, stirring continuously – do not walk away.

Then tip your cold stock straight into the roux and whisk until smooth, then cook on a low heat for 30 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.

Add the mustard and cream and simmer for 5 minutes.

I've frozen this sauce, with the chicken and it's every bit as good out of the freezer.

Alternatively if you don't want a Velouté Sauce – freeze the stock and use as a base for soup.

There's no pressure here, you don't have to make the Velouté sauce. I've included the recipe because it's easy to do if you've the time and well worth the effort.

Back to the chuck – a word to the wise – you'll need to switch off your slow cooker after 8 hours cooking, so, tie a knot in whatever will make you remember or, more practically, set the alarm on your phone! It will not be the end of the world if it's 9 hours.

Monday supper is :

Slow cooked chicken

Leftover roast potatoes

Leftover roasted vegetables

Options for “speed sauce” and save the Velouté for a day when you've more time – use tinned condensed chicken soup – low fat version is an option – you can enrich with a drop of double cream if you wish. Leave the stock, covered, in the fridge – you'll need it later in the week.

Should perhaps call this “stress-free speed supper!”