Ingredients
2 tbsps olive oil
2 medium leeks, trimmed and sliced into 1cm rounds (about 400g)
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1.5kg - 1.8kg chicken
300ml white wine
800ml fresh chicken stock
2 tbsps crème fraiche (optional)
½ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
300g orzo
200g asparagus, wooded end broken off and cut on the diagonal into 3
100g petit pois, defrosted
Juice 1 lemon

Equipment needed
large, heavy based casserole dish that has a lid and can go on the hob and in the oven (I use my Le Creuset)

Method
Heat the oven to 160c.

Put your pot on a medium high heat and add 1 tbsp of the oil. Once hot, add the leeks and cook for a couple of minutes until going soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Remove to one side.

Remove the string from the chicken and season.  We are now going to brown the chicken. Start by adding to the pan breast-side down and cook for 3-5 minutes and then turn and brown the rest. You want the skin to be golden all over.

When the chicken is golden all over, put the leeks back in and put the chicken in breast side up and add your wine.  Cook for a few minutes with the wine bubbling until reduced a little and the raw alcohol taste has gone, then pour in the stock. Bring the liquid to the boil. Once boiling, turn off the heat, put on the lid and put into the oven for 1 hour 10 minutes.

Remove the pot from the oven and remove the chicken. Be careful removing the perfectly cooked chicken from the pot, it will fall apart so you wont be able to carve in the traditional sense.  Just check your chicken is cooked all the way through by trying to pull of the leg. If it is not then follow the below instructions only after the ingredients are added, put the chicken back in the pot and return it to the oven for 15 minutes. I find at this point it is cooked beautifully.

Assuming your chicken is fully cooked, leave to one side to rest.

Stir through the crème fraiche if using followed by the chilli flakes and orzo. Push the orzo down so it is completely submerged under the chicken stock then add the asparagus and peas. Put on to your hob and bring to the boil, reduce the heat to medium high and cook for 8-10 minutes until the orzo is cooked through and soft but not falling apart.

Stir through the lemon juice and check the seasoning, I usually find at this point it needs some salt. Leave to one side while you shred your chicken.

Now your chicken has rested, pull apart your chicken. I usually reserve the breast meat as there is enough chicken from the rest for this dish but this is your own personal choice.