Impressing the unimpressable....

Well I tried, I really did, and I did recieve a more enthusiastic response, albeit with the same words. As usual.
So I had a free range organic chicken thankyouverymuch. After that I looked about and saw I had white wine ( anyone who is even slightly surprised has not been reading I am afraid), onions, carrots, celery and celeriac, garlic and green peppercorns.
So I decided to poach the chicken whole, a la Nigella Lawson's 'praised' chicken from 'Kitchen' with the aforementioned vegetables and serve with a celeriac and potato puree.
 It's not much work really, for all my talk of impressing...you crush the chicken flattish by leaning on it breast side up until it caves, and then brown it either side in some oil- about 2 tablespoons- in a casserole dish that can sit on the hob and fit the chicken and vegetables comfortably. Once the chicken is browned on either side, add the wine, about a glassful, and reduce to what is becoming my usual description of syrupy.Then add all the vegetables, chopped or sliced into forkable pieces, stir ( as well as you can with a bloody great chicken in the middle of the pan) and then add chicken stock so the bird is almost covered. I then seasoned with my usual liberal gusto, and added about 2 tablespoons of bottled green peppercorns and some thyme for good measure. I waited until the liquid had come up to a boil, reduced the heat to low, and let the chicken simmer, covered for about 2 hours.
Whilst I did this - well let it do itself frankly- I boiled equal amounts of celeriac and potato together until tender, drained, then mashed them with butter and cream. I set this aside in a serving bowl to be microwaved for when Big Brother arrived.
Once the chicken had cooked I removed it and let it rest on a covered dish, whilst I turned up the heat in the resulting stock and vegetable mixture, to reduce the sauce.
Once Brother dearest had arrived I stripped the chicken from the carcass, then put a serving of the heated celeriac/potato puree mixture on heated plates, topped it with the stripped chicken, then poured over the reduced sauce mixture complete with vegetables.
'What is this?' I was asked, 'Umm, Chicken stew with a sortof mash' I replied.After silent eating I enquired as to how it was...."it's aright" he replied, but I think I detected a bit more enthusiaism. We are getting there, we ARE, I am convinced of it!!!