Defying the cliché of being autumnal, this is a hearty dish brimming with a delightful mix of green herbal flavours underpinned by the combination of smoked Polish sausage, chicken and the sweetness of swede. An easy one-pot dish, this Polish sausage and chicken spring hotpot fills the spot.
I sometimes fantasise the reason I love one-pot dishes is because of Gypsy blood, a fantasy already dispelled by DNA tests undertaken. Romanticism aside, this is both a simple and fantastically flavoursome dish; a hearty meal that is "the rite of spring" in its own right.
I suspect Denton, my dad, would be really proud if he tasted this little creation of mine that is the perfect—yet easily cooked—balance of smokiness from the sausage, almost bitter herbs and the sweetness of swede. It really is a riotous spring dish.
This recipe feeds 2 to 3 diners. Work out if you want to make it in larger or smaller portions.
Shopping list
for the Polish sausage and chicken spring hotpot
Approx. 200g skinless chicken breast (or equivalent"white meat") cut into bite-sized portions
½ a large, thick smoked pork sausage cut into thick slices — I used a Polish Masurian sausage, but any comparable sausage will work so long as it's thick, smoked and pork
½ a medium fresh swede; cut into fairly large pieces
1 large brown onion, diced
1 small green bell pepper, cubed
2 tspn smoked garlic, very finely chopped
Approx. 200g brown chestnut mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 chicken stock cube and 1 vegetable stock cube, diluted together in approx. 300ml of boiling water
2 tbspn of dried oregano
4 dried bay leaves
A generous clutch of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
A pinch of rock salt
2 tspn freshly ground black pepper
2 tbspns Worcestershire sauce (or anchovy sauce)
Approx 100ml single cream
Rice or artisan bread as an accompaniment according to preference
Olive oil; about 3 tbspn
A glass of white wine (optional)
Cooking Method
In an appropriate deep saucepan with a lid, add the olive oil and heat on a medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the smoked garlic. When it sizzles and turns golden, add the diced onion, stirring together
When the onions soften, add the green pepper and stir together, adding the white wine (if using it) and allow it to cook off. If it begins to stick once the wine has cooked off, add a little water. Stir vigorously and cover. Allow the ingredients to sweat together for 3 to 4 mins
When the onions and green pepper have softened, add the mushrooms, stirring all the ingredients together. Add the Worcestershire sauce and "sizzle" it all together. Add a little more wine if needed
Cover and sweat the ingredients together for approx. 5 mins. The mushrooms are likely to give off moisture and you should stir this back into the mix
Add the diced chicken, folding it into the mix of ingredients so that all sides are sealed. Cover and allow it to cook in this mixture for about 3 to 4 mins on a high heat, ensuring nothing sticks, stirring if needed
Once the chicken has cooked for 3 or 4 mins, add the sausage. Dress with half of the oregano and stir in. By this time, most of the liquid should have evaporated. Allow the oregano to almost "burn" before pouring in a little of the diluted stock mixture. Cover and allow top boil on a high heat for 3 to 4 mins, then uncover
Add and stir in the pieces of swede, ensuring it mixes with the contents of the pot. Slowly pour in the remaining liquid stock. Add the rest of the oregano and stir in. Add the bay leaves and the chopped flat leaf parsley to the top of the pot. Cover and bring to the boil, boiling vigorously for 5min
Reduce to a very low heat and allow the ingredients to simmer together for at least 45mins, stirring occasionally; roughly every 10 mins
When the liquid has substantially reduced—looking something like a chowder—add the cream and stir in. Cover and continue to simmer for approx. 10 mins. Finally, stir and remove from the heat before plating
Plate and serve with bread, rice or any other accompaniment of preference. Personally tip: it's great with a simple artisanal bread and creamed horseradish in lieu of butter or oil
Variations
Vegetarians and vegans — Not any easy ride: this dish relies on a combination of "fresh" protein—the chicken in the above recipe—and smoky flavours—the Polish smoked sausage. So far the best veggie version I've made involved upping the portion of mushrooms, treating Quorn pieces like the chicken above and adding smoked tofu in the last 10mins of cooking. Sorry, I still used the cream. It remains a delicious dish without it, but more akin to a chowder.
Pescatarians — Yes, again smoked mussels instead of the Polish smoked sausage, (approx.1 small tin per 2 diners) draining off all excess oil before adding it in the later stages of cooking. Make up for the lack of chicken with pieces of raw tuna. Again, don't add them too early; roughly in the last 10mins of cooking, literally just before the cream goes in.
Pairings
Another one poor Karel's work list, but I will be offering some thoughts of my own. Obviously this one works with beer, but I suspect it will also be great with a truly tart riesling, though I've yet to test this hypothesis. More on this later...
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