Chicken Warmer

There's nothing quite as warming as a good old Chicken stew in the winter. Serve with dumplings & were rocking :-)
This is a very easy stock cupboard stew, using in season veggies. I have listed what is in this one but please use other veggies that are available to you. Carrots are a staple though! Add some peas for colour or corn, you get the idea. Green beans too will give a lovely colour to this.
If you read my blog you will know that I don't add onion, due to an intolerance, but please do add if you can.
1 Garlic head, crushed & chopped
Chicken bones
Cooked chicken meat
Chicken stock, from bones &/or 2 x stock cubes
3 x Carrots peeled & sliced chunky
1/2-1 Marrow, peeled & chopped chunky
1 x Courgette, cut into 4 length wise & sliced chunky
1tbsp Lemon juice
1tsp Oregano
1tsp Parsley
1tsp Thyme
Salt & pepper fresh ground
Potatoes peeled & cut to size

Boil the bones to give a stock.
Crush & chop the garlic & fry in a little oil or frylight till browning. Add onion if using. Discard bones, sieve if necessary. Add stock &/or cubes to garlic & boil (use plenty of water). Boil for about 10 mins covered. Add chicken, carrots, courgette & marrow. Stir in lemon juice & herbs, cover & cook very slowly for two hours minimum, can be  longer especially if using uncooked chicken. Keep watching liquid levels.
Add potatoes 1 hour before use as you want them to keep their form. I don't thicken mine as I keep it as healthy as poss but you can thicken it at the end with a little cornflower in water or make it creamy by adding cooking cream at the end.
DON'T ADD YOGHURT AS THIS WILL SPOIL THE FLAVOUR.
If using uncooked chicken, peel away skin & brown in a frying pan using frylight or a little oil. cook as you would in any chicken dish (you don't want blood to be running) then add the chicken to the hot stock.