Pot au feu

Ingredients

1 medium free-range chicken
110g/4oz smoked bacon
6 Toulouse or pork and leek sausages, browned on a griddle pan for a few seconds on each side
55g/2oz pearl barley
3 carrots
2 onions, quartered
4 garlic cloves, skin on
4 medium potatoes, cut into big chunks
2 leeks coarsely shredded
1 red pepper, sliced
1 small savoy cabbage, cut into quarters, core removed
1 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp vegetable bouillon
1 bouquet garni (bundle of thyme, sage, parsley and rosemary)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
cold water

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
2. Place the chicken in a large casserole dish, then add the bacon, sausages, barley, carrots, onions, garlic, potatoes, leeks, red pepper, cabbage, turmeric, bouillon and Bouquet garni. Season and add enough cold water to cover the ingredients. Cover the casserole dish and transfer to the oven to cook for two hours.
3. To serve, ladle the vegetables into a bowl, place the meat on top and serve with olive oil croutons and coarse parsley and basil pesto.