Chicken & Broccoli Bake
This is a great comfort food to make when you have time & freeze extra for later!
Method
1. Season the chickens and roast at 200°C for 1 hour, allow to cool a little.
2. Remove all the meat from the chickens and set aside.
3. Place the chicken bones & skin into a slow cooker (or large pot) and add the veg and herbs to make the stock. Add enough water to just cover the bones. Cook on low for 12-24 hours. If using a pot on the stove, simmer for 4 hours.
4. Cut the broccoli into florets and cut the stalk into 0.5cm dice. Place a large pot of water with 1 tbsp salt onto the stove to boil. Prepare a bowl of iced water and a slotted strainer. Plunge the florets into the boiling water, return to the boil then strain into the iced water to stop it cooking, then do the same for the stalk but let is simmer for 1 min, refresh in cold water also.
5. Chop the chicken into large chunks and place in your ovenproof dish. Sprinkle over the broccoli; florets and stalks. Season with pepper and salt.
6. To make the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stir in the flour and cook for 1 min. Add in the stock, 1 cup at a time, whisk until smooth, until you get a consistency that it just coats the back of a spoon.
7. Pour the sauce over the chicken and broccoli.
8. Top with topping of your choice, I like brown bread crumbs or sourdough crumbs ** with seeds and cheddar.
9. Freeze now for later or Bake at 180°C for 30 mins until heated through and top is crispy.
To Serve
Serve hot with a side salad or baked potato. This dish is great as part of a buffet when serving large numbers.
Storage
This dish freezes well (at stage 9 just before you were to bake it) It will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Tips:
*I tend to save the top and tail of carrots, tops of onions, celery stalk and leaves, stalks of herbs from cooking to use in stock (fresh or frozen). I also add, a whole carrot or two, some onions and garlic cloves as well as some herbs from the garden like bay, thyme, rosemary and tarragon & whole peppercorns.
** I blitz stale bread in a food processor/blender to form breadcrumbs and then freeze for occasions like this. Currently I have brown bread, sourdough & focaccia breadcrumbs in the freezer!
