Pot-roasted chicken with walnut and garlic sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C, gas mark 3. Stuff the chicken cavity with a lemon half and the bay leaves. Season the bird inside and out. Put 2 tbsp oil in a large, flameproof lidded casserole dish and set over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken, browning it all over, then lift onto large plate. Add the celery and roughly chopped onion; cook for 5-6 minutes, until soft and starting to colour. Return the chicken to the dish, breast-side up, and pour in the stock. Put the lid on, bring to a simmer, then transfer to the oven. Roast for 40 minutes, then remove the lid and cook for 20 minutes more, until cooked through, the juices run clear and no pink meat remains.

2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over a low-medium heat, add the finely chopped onion and cook gently for about 15 minutes, until soft and tinged golden. Add the garlic, spices and walnuts; cook for 5-6 minutes, until aromatic. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Take off the heat and set aside. 

3. Transfer the chicken to a serving plate and cover with foil. Strain the cooking liquid into a measuring jug and skim off the excess fat. Tip the walnut mixture into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add 150ml of the cooking liquid and whizz to a fine paste. Tip back into the frying pan over a medium heat to warm through, then gradually stir in 300ml of the cooking liquid. Cook until thickened a little, then season and stir through a squeeze of lemon juice to taste. Serve the chicken with the walnut and garlic sauce. Scatter over the parsley and add the remaining lemon, cut into wedges, for squeezing over. Serve with the steamed rice and wilted cabbage.