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1
Heat the oven to 350.
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2
Put the chicken fat in a roasting pan or Dutch oven over medium heat.
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3
Sprinkle the leg quarters with salt and pepper and add them to the pan, flesh side down.
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4
Cook, turning and rotating the pieces as necessary, until well browned on both sides, 10 to 12 minutes.
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5
Remove, then add the breast halves, skin side down.
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6
Brown them well, then flip and cook for just 1 minute or so; remove to a separate plate.
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7
Put the leeks, carrots, celery, mushrooms, herbs and chicken-wing meat in the same pan and cook until the vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
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8
Nestle the leg quarters among the vegetables, meaty side up.
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9
Add enough of the stock to come about halfway up the thighs.
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10
(The amount will depend on the breadth of your pan; add a little water if necessary.)
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11
Put the pan in the oven and cook, uncovered, for about 1 hour, checking occasionally and stirring the vegetables if they threaten to brown too much.
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12
When the thigh meat is tender, raise the heat to 400 and lay the breast halves on the vegetables, skin side up.
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13
Continue cooking until they are done, 20 to 30 minutes longer.
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14
Transfer the vegetables to a platter.
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15
You can serve one of two ways: slice the breasts and shred the leg-and-thigh meat and lay the meat on top of the vegetables; or cut the leg-thigh pieces in half, cut the breasts in half and give each person a little of each.
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16
Garnish with reserved chopped celery leaves.
