Whether you like to cook slow, under pressure or in a microwave, these easy, power-saving recipes will make the most of your kitchen gadgets
Slow-cooker coq au vin
A classic dish with rich flavours. Baby onions and shallots are tricky to peel, so soak them in boiled water for a few minutes, then drain and leave to cool – the skins will slip off.
SERVES 4 PREP 30 mins COOK 4 hrs EASY ❄
8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
30g butter
140g smoked bacon lardons or diced smoked pancetta
400g pearl onions or small shallots, peeled and left whole
2 large or
4 small carrots, cut into chunks
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp tomato purée
300ml chicken stock
600ml red wine
2 bay leaves
1 large thyme sprig
300g button chestnut mushrooms, any larger ones chopped handful of parsley leaves, chopped (optional) mash or buttered tagliatelle, to serve
1 Season the chicken. Melt half the butter in a deep frying pan over a medium heat and brown the chicken, skin-side down, for 10 mins until it turns deep golden. Flip and brown the fleshy side for a few minutes – you may need to do this in batches. Transfer to the slow cooker.
2 Tip the bacon into the pan and fry for 5-6 mins until crisp, then add to the slow cooker. Fry the onions and carrots in the bacon fat for 5 mins until starting to colour. Add the garlic, cook for 1 min more, then sprinkle in the flour and cook for 1-2 mins until you have a sandy paste. Stir through the tomato purée and cook for 2 mins. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for 2 mins.
3 Tip the contents of the pan into the slow cooker. Pour the stock and wine into the pan, bring to the boil, then pour into the slow cooker. Add the bay leaves and thyme, season, then set the slow cooker to high and cook for 3-4 hrs, or 5-6 hrs on medium or 7-8 hrs on low, stirring once or twice until the chicken is tender.
4 Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a clean pan over a medium heat and fry the mushrooms for 4-5 mins. Tip them into the slow cooker about an hour before the end of cooking, and stir. Once cooled, the coq au vin will keep chilled for three days or frozen for three months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat in a pan over a medium heat until piping hot. Scatter over the parsley, if using, and serve with mash or buttered tagliatelle.
PER SERVING 678 kcals • fat 35g • saturates 12g • carbs 21g • sugars 9g • fibre 6g • protein 39g • salt 2.1g
