Slow cooker chicken chasseur

• olive oil↗2 tbsp tbsp
• chicken↗4

  thighs, skin-on and bone-in

• shallots↗2

  or 1 onion, finely chopped

• garlic cloves↗2

  crushed

• baby chestnut mushrooms↗200g g

  halved

• white wine↗200ml ml
• tomato purée↗1 tbsp tbsp
• chopped tomatoes200g g
• thyme sprigs↗2
• bay leaf↗1
• hot chicken stock↗400ml ml
• parsley↗small handful of

  finely chopped, to serve

• mash

  jackets, pasta or roast potatoes, to serve (optional)

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat the slow cooker to low. Put the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Season the chicken and fry, skin-side down, for 4-5 mins until crisp. Turn and fry for 3-4 mins more until golden all over. Put on a plate and set aside.

2. 2

   Tip the shallots into the pan and fry for 10 mins over a medium heat until soft. Add the garlic and mushrooms and fry for 10 mins more until the mushrooms are golden. Pour in the wine and bubble for a few minutes until reduced by half. Stir in the tomato purée, chopped tomatoes and herbs. Season well and bring to a simmer.

3. 3

   Tip the sauce into the slow cooker, and top with the chicken thighs (in one layer, if possible). Pour over the chicken stock until the chicken thighs are covered, adding a little more if needed. Cover and cook for 6-8 hrs until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is tender. Transfer the chicken to a plate and bubble the sauce for a few minutes more with the lid off, if you prefer a thicker sauce (you can only do this if there’s a reduce function on the slow cooker. If not, pour the sauce into a pan and simmer until reduced). Remove the skin from the chicken before serving, if you prefer.

4. 4

   Sprinkle over the parsley and serve the chicken and sauce with buttery mash, jackets, pasta or small roast potatoes, if you like.