Braised fowl with vegetables

Ingredients

• 1 whole fowl (whole chicken or similar bird) (A whole chicken works well as a modern substitute for fowl. Pat dry before braising.)
• 500 ml gravy (Use a good brown gravy or chicken stock-based gravy. Enough to partially submerge the fowl in the pot.)
• 1 small glass (approx. 100 ml) white wine (A dry white wine works best. Add just enough to complement the gravy.)
• 1 whole onion (Peel and leave whole, or halve for more flavour release.)
• 1 whole carrot (Peel and cut into large chunks for braising.)
• 1 whole turnip (Peel and cut into large chunks for braising.)
• 1 handful French beans (Top and tail the beans; leave whole or halve.)
• 1 head celery (Trim and cut the celery into large pieces.)
• 1 whole cucumber (Cut into large chunks. The cucumber will soften during braising and add a gentle flavour to the sauce.)
• 2 medium (egg-sized) tomatoes (Use medium, ripe tomatoes. Halve or leave whole during braising.)

Instructions

1. 1Peel and roughly chop the onion, carrot, and turnip into large chunks. Top and tail the French beans. Trim and cut the celery into large pieces. Cut the cucumber into large chunks. Halve the tomatoes. Having the vegetables in large pieces is important — they will be strained out, diced, and added back to the sauce later, so you want them to hold their shape during braising.
2. 2Place the whole fowl into a large, heavy-bottomed pot or casserole dish with a lid. Arrange the prepared onion, carrot, turnip, French beans, celery, cucumber, and tomatoes around and on top of the fowl. Pour the gravy and the white wine over the fowl and vegetables. The liquid should come about halfway up the bird. If needed, add a splash more gravy so the vegetables are well moistened.
3. 3Place the pot on the hob over a medium heat and bring the liquid to a gentle simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot tightly with the lid, and braise for approximately 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes, or until the fowl is fully cooked through and the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer or knife. Maintain a gentle simmer throughout — avoid a vigorous boil, which can toughen the meat. If using an oven, you may instead transfer the covered pot to an oven preheated to 160°C (325°F / Gas Mark 3) and braise for the same time.
4. 4Once the fowl is cooked, carefully lift it out of the pot using tongs or two large spoons and place it on a warm serving dish. Cover loosely with foil to keep it warm while you prepare the sauce. Do not discard the braising liquid and vegetables remaining in the pot.
5. 5Set a sieve or colander over a clean saucepan and pour the braising liquid and vegetables through it, so the liquid is caught in the saucepan below. Lift the vegetables from the sieve and, once cool enough to handle, cut them into small dice (roughly 1 cm cubes). Return the diced vegetables to the strained gravy in the saucepan. Stir to combine. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning if needed. Warm the sauce gently over a low heat for 2–3 minutes until heated through. Pour the vegetable sauce over or around the fowl on the serving dish and serve immediately.