Slow cooker chicken chasseur

Throw a handful of ingredients in the slow cooker at the start of the day and this classic French chicken chasseur will be ready by the time you get home

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 chicken thighs, skin-on and bone-in
• 2 shallots or 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 200g baby chestnut mushrooms, halved
• 200ml white wine
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 200g chopped tomatoes
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 400ml hot chicken stock
• small handful of parsley, finely chopped, to serve
• mash, jackets, pasta or roast potatoes, to serve (optional)

Directions

Method

• STEP 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.

• STEP 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.

• STEP 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.

• STEP 4

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