2014 Cooking Club Week 3: Chicken and cider casserole with cabbage and barley

Apologies for the lateness of this post. I forgot due to illness. That's also why there are no photos.
This is a really versatile recipe that can be used with chicken or pig in most forms or can be kept veggie. I use Kopparberg apple cider to make it because it's a bit sweeter but any cider should work. A few months ago I asked on this forum if I should get fancy cider for cooking and the answer from pretty reliable source was don't bother.

Ingredients (to feed 2 adults with a bit of barley risotto leftover)
1 onion peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped
1 carrot peeled and finely chopped
1 celery stick finely chopped
2 chicken legs or 3-4 chicken thighs depending on size
300ml cider
3tsp Dijon or English mustard
1tsp honey
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of thyme (I add as is and fish out the deleafed twigs before serving)
1/2cup pearl barley
1/4 head of cabbage or as much as you like finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 170oC
Heat a good splash of oil and a knob of butter in an oven proof dish with a lid on a low-medium heat
Add the onions and garlic and gently fry until brown and soft
Add the carrot and celery and sweat them with the lid on for 5 mins
Add the cider, mustard, honey, bay and thyme and stir until the mustard and honey has dissolved
Season to taste
Bring to the boil and simmer until you can't smell alcohol fumes anymore (At this stage you could tip it all into a slow cooker and add the chicken and cook on medium for 8 hours adding the cabbage for the last 30mins)
Add chicken put the lid on and put it in the oven for 30mins
After 30mins add the barley, stir as best you can with the chicken and put back in the oven with the lid on for 20mins
Add the cabbage to the pot but don't worry about stirring it because it will steam in the heat of the pot
Put back in the oven for 10mins
Serve.

Sometimes I don't add the cabbage and then would add a splash of cream or a handful of grated cheese at the end to make it extra oozy. Any leftover barley is delicious reheated or eaten at room temperature.
Hope you enjoy