Mustard Chicken with winter vegetables

1 chicken, about 1.8kg in weight
2 onions
6 celery sticks
6 carrots
2 bay leaves
2 thyme sprigs
1 tsp black peppercorns
50g butter
100g smoked bacon lardons
3 small turnips, peeled and cut into wedges
1 tb plain flour
2 tb wholegrain mustard
3 rounded tb creme fraiche
good handful of parsley, chopped

Put the chicken in a large pot. Halve 1 onion, 1 celery stick and 1 carrot. add to the pot with the herbs, peppercorns with a sprinkling of salt. Add water to come halfway up the chicken, bring to the boil, then cover tightly and simmer for 1.5hours. Cool, slightly, remove the chicken to a dish, then strain the stock into a bowl.

When the chicken is cool enough to handle, strip the meat from the bones and tear into pieces with your hands.

Chop the remaining onion, and cut the celery and carrots into thick slices. Heat the butter in the same pot, add the onion and lardons, then gently fry for 5 mins until just starting to brown. Add the remaining veg, then fry for 2 mins. Stir in the flour, then cook for 1 min. Measure 900ml stock (if you don't have enough, make it up with water), then gradually add to the pan, stirring. cover, then simmer for 20-25mins until vegetables are tender.

Return chiclen to the pan with the mustard and creme fraiche, then return to a simmer, stirring gently. Season and sprinkle with parsley.