Slow cooker chicken cacciatore

Method

1. Season the chicken thighs with salt and black pepper. Heat the oil in a wide pan then add the chicken thighs, skin-side down, along with the garlic cloves and bay leaves. Cook on a moderate heat for 5-7 minutes until the chicken skin is golden and crispy, then turn over and seal the second side for a minute or so. Transfer to a plate. You may need to fry the chicken in batches.
2. Remove the garlic cloves from the pan and set aside for later. Tip the onion into the pan that was used to fry the chicken and cook it for 7-10 minutes on a moderate heat until soft.
3. Add the wine, increase the heat and boil to reduce by about a half, then add the halved tomatoes. At this point squeeze out the garlic from their skins and put them into the pan. The garlic should be soft and pulpy so it will break down into the sauce as it cooks.
4. Season with salt and black pepper and allow the tomatoes to cook for about 15 minutes on a moderate heat until they have turned pulpy and started to thicken a little.
5. Pour the contents of the pan into the bowl of your slow cooker. Add the chicken pieces to the tomatoes, skin-side up and cook on high for 4 hours until the chicken is tender and the sauce has become rich, thick and fruity with reduced tomato juices.
6. Turn the chicken thighs over halfway through to make sure they cook evenly. Serve sprinkled with some torn basil leaves.

Find more one-pot recipes from Alan Rosenthal in his new book Ultimate one-pot dishes.