Just when you thought you'd exhausted all the possibilities for chicken, here's another way to serve it up. Pop a chicken in a pot, cover with water, add vegetables, herbs and spices, and you'll have the starting point for a range of meals.

Here's how:

1 Rinse and clean the cavity of the chicken with cold water. Put the chicken in a large, deep heavy-based pan and cover with the water. Add the remaining ingredients to the pan, cover, and bring slowly to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and simmer for 45 minutes. Carefully remove the chicken from the pan and put on a plate, then cover it loosely with foil. Continue to simmer the stock for a further 20 minutes.

2 Remove the vegetables from the stock, using a slotted spoon. Strain the stock through a sieve and discard the herbs and spices. Reserve the vegetables if you'll be using them to make one of the following recipes. If not, just discard them.

Cook's tips:

To reduce the fat content of the chicken, remove the skin before poaching.
The chicken and the stock can be used straightaway, or stored in the fridge covered with plastic wrap for up to two days.

Take stock:

The advantage of poaching a chicken is that the liquid it's cooked in can be used as a stock. You can use the stock immediately for a recipe, or you can store it in the fridge for later use.

More here about stock

Poached chicken with vegetable puree