* Slow Cooker Chicken Brunswick Stew

Finally, I've had another success with my slow cooker!

The dog looked on in desperation as we cleared our plates (this time)- the poor thing actually starts to get excited when I pull the slow cooker down off the top of the fridge. She's so sure that whatever is going in it, is going to end up in her - whilst Neil and I eat fried egg sandwiches... again.

NOT this time!

Okay. So. It's not exactly a very original recipe, and it was designed to go in a slow cooker... which makes me feel like I'm cheating somehow (don't ask me why. I don't know why!!!)... but it was lush. Very. I'm not normally a huge fan of chicken thigh meat that has been cooked in any sort of liquid because the texture differs from dry cooked thighs, and can be almost rubbery...

NOT this time!

The meat was melt-in-the-mouth GAWJUS. Even if I do say so myself.

The original recipe called for almost twice as much sweetcorn and beans, but I wanted a chicken stew with veg in it. Not a veg stew with chicken in it. It also required flour, but quite frankly I figured it would thicken up enough when cooked, without any additional help, so I left that out too. It worked. I have super powers.

Amazingly, I did NOT stuff a wodge of spinach into this one, because I didn't have any. GASP!

I make no promises for the next one though.

Me and spinach... we is in a rel-AY-shun-SHIP.

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Slow Cooker Chicken Brunswick Stew Recipe

Serves 3 - 4

Prep time - 10 minutes
Cooking time - 6 - 8 hours
Total time - 6 1/2 to 8 1/2 hours

You will need
A slow cooker/crock pot

Ingredients
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 chicken stock/bouillon cube (gluten free if you have it)
6 skinless chicken thighs - bone in
1 lb/450g baby new potatoes - unpeeled - halved
1 onion - chopped
18 fl oz/500ml tomato passata
1 tbsp  Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
5oz/140g frozen sweetcorn - defrosted
5oz/140g frozen edamame beans/soya beans OR lima beans - defrosted

Method

• Place the chicken, potatoes and onion in the slow cooker - sprinkle over all of the herbs, salt, pepper and stock/bouillon cube.
• Pour the tomato passata and Worcestershire sauce over the top of the chicken and vegetables. Give it all a very gentle stir.
• Cover, and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.
• Add the sweetcorn and beans, cover and cook for a further 30 minutes.
• Remove chicken from the slow cooker with a slotted spoon and gently remove the meat from the bone. It should just slide off. 
• Cut the chicken into large pieces and return to the pot (discard the chicken bones).
• Serve with thick slices of home made bread to sop up the sauce.

EAT

Adapted from Betty Crocker at Betty's Kitchen