A sumptuous and filling dish with the aromatic flavours of mugwort...

Ingredients (serves 3):

- 4 chicken thighs

- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

- 15g mugwort on stems

- 30g water celery stems and stalks

- 500ml water

- 1 teaspoon vegetable boullion/vegetable stock cube

- Juice of half a lemon

- Sea salt & a few grinds of black pepper.


1. Season the chicken on both sides then fry on both sides until nicely browned.

2. Add water, boullion and mugwort, bring to boil then simmer for 2 hours.

3. Strain liquid into a pan and reduce further until only 100ml is left.

4. Just before reaching this stage- about 5 minutes- chop the water celery into 5mm pieces and add to liquid to poach.

5. Add lemon juice, remove mugwort stems from chicken and return to pan to warm through then serve, pouring the reduced cooking liquid over the chicken as a sauce. Serve with black rice and courgettes with nettle raita (click here for recipe).