The luxury of slow-cooking

Pot-Roasted Chicken with Star Anise and Sweet Potatoes
This dish combines some typical Far Eastern ingredients – sesame oil, star anise, ginger, coriander and soy sauce – and will fill your kitchen with the most sensational smells as it cooks. Star anise is widely available at Asian grocers and some supermarkets. Bear in mind that light soy sauce is, in fact, saltier than the dark kind, so use the former if you want a more pungent taste.

Serves 4–6

1 x 1.5-2kg chicken, preferably free-range, corn-fed or organic
3 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium onions, peeled and thickly sliced
2.5cm-piece fresh root ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
4 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
5cm-piece cinnamon stick
6–8 heads of star anise
6 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp dry sherry
750g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1.25cm-slices
2-3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Wash the chicken, then pat dry with kitchen paper. Heat 2 tbsp sesame oil and vegetable oil together in a large casserole dish and, when very hot, add the chicken, browning it on all sides.
2. Remove the chicken, lower the heat and cook the onions and ginger for 5–10 minutes until soft and golden. Add the garlic, cinnamon stick and star anise and fry for a further 3–4 minutes.
3. Return the chicken to the casserole dish, breast-side down, then add the soy sauce, sherry and 175ml water. Season well with pepper and bring to a simmer. Cover the dish with greaseproof paper, then replace the lid and cook in the oven for 35–40 minutes.
4. Turn the chicken breast-side up and add the slices of sweet potato, tucking them right down into the juices. Drizzle the remaining sesame oil over the chicken. Replace the paper and the lid, return to the oven and cook for a further 40–50 minutes, or until the juices run clear when a skewer is inserted into the thickest part of the leg.
5. Remove the chicken and all but four slices of sweet potato to a serving dish and keep warm. Remove and discard all the whole spices. Transfer the casserole to the hob, remove the lid and turn up the heat. Cook for a few minutes, mashing the sweet potato slices into the liquid to help thicken the sauce. Add the coriander, season with salt (don’t use too much, as the soy sauce is fairly salty), then pour the sauce over the chicken. Serve with rice or noodles.

Recipe by Joanna Lamiri

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