There is something really nice about putting things in a cooker, turning it on and forgetting all about it although here I wanted caramelisation so I actually browned the chicken and sweated the onion first. You could easily cook this dish in a conventional pan too, but perhaps you could not just forget it in quite the same way.
I have a 1.8 Ltr slow cooker but it is big enough for 2-4 people.
This recipe uses two whole chicken legs and I included the wings too but just for the flavour. The premise of the recipe is a Greek ‘Ladero’ dish of peas, carrots and potatoes cooked in olive oil and flavoured with lots of dill and mint. Cooking time 2 and ½ hours on high.
I chose to brown the chicken and sweat the onions in the pan for more flavour but you don’t need to. You can just put everything raw into the pot and perhaps cook for 2.45 minutes – 3 hours.
Ingredients (serves 2)
- 2 chicken thighs and legs
- 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
- 200g frozen peas
- 1 large potato chopped in bite size chunks
- 2 carrots sliced
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 150ml chicken stock
- A small bunch of dill, finely chopped
- 3-4 mint leaves, finely sliced
Method
Please the carrots, potato and peas in the bottom of the pot of the slow cooker.
Bring a large frying pan to a high heat, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and brown the chicken pieces all round. Transfer into the pot on top of the vegetables. Use that same oil to sweat the onion for 4-5 minutes on low to medium heat. Add the tomato paste and stir for a minute or so. Add the chicken stock, chopped dill and mint, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, stir everything and add to the pot. Use a wooden spoon to ensure that the onions and sauce have reached all the ingredients of the pot. Cover and cook on high for 2 and ½ hours. Adjust seasoning and serve with more fresh herbs sprinkled ontop.