Slow-cooked chicken with chorizo

Who can resist chicken thighs for a midweek dinner? From a flavour, texture and nourishment perspective, they leave chicken breast in the ha’penny place. They are also kind to the purse; two packs of six thighs costs €5 in my local supermarket.

Chicken thighs work beautifully in the slow cooker. I have a few tips though. Firstly, trim off any excess skin tucked underneath the thighs, there is usually quite a bit of spare skin. Secondly, I would most definitely fry off the thighs before adding to the slow cooker.

Fry off the chorizo in a heavy-based frying pan. There is no need to add any extra oil, the chorizo will release oil while cooking. When the chorizo is nicely browned, remove it from the pan using a slotted spoon and add to the slow cooker.

Fry the chicken thighs, a few at a time, in the hot pan, until the skin is crispy. This will need to be done in batches. Add the chicken to the slow cooker as each batch is fried off.

When you have finished cooking off the chicken, add the onion, celery and garlic to the pan and cook over a gentle heat for five minutes or so until starting to colour, then add to the slow cooker, along with the tin of chopped tomatoes, water, tomato puree, sugar and rosemary. Season with some freshly ground black pepper.

Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for seven hours.

The result is magic. Delicious chicken falling off the bone in a rich, smoky tomato sauce. I often add a few capers after cooking to give an extra kick to the dish. This is delicious served with baked potatoes or with some really good sour dough bread.