Slow Cook Chicken with Celery and Apple

This is my version of this dish which is good for a slow-cooker. Put the aromatics into the pot, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, garlic and lemon peel. You can see the quantities that I used you must adjust to suit the size of your pot and servings. 

Peel and core brambly apples, I used three, coarsely chop two and scatter over aromatics. Slice the remainder apple and reserve.

Clean and coarsely chop a head of celery and finely chop the leaves, scatter into pan.

together with a medium onion chopped

Optionally I used 3/4lb of belly pork, scored at 35mm centres and buried into the apple and celery. Meanwhile brown off chicken pieces in olive oil. I used 8 wings I happened to have.

Pour 1L of cider, I used Scrumpy into the pot, remembering to slacken the frying pan residues and also add. Push the chicken pieces down into the sides and across the top. Then scatter the reserved apple slices across the top

Season well to taste, cover and cook! I used 5hrs at the low setting and I guess 3.5hrs on high.

 

 

All done, just enjoy. You might want to take off some of the liquid and reduce it but that is down to you.

Simple easy and tasty.

Bean Salad with Confit Duck

 Quick and simple yet turned out refreshing and tasty. A can of red kidney beans and a can of cannelloni beans, rinse well, drain and put into a bowl. Finely chop a medium onion, add to bowl with a Tblspn of white wine vinegar. Very finely chop a green chilli, without the seeds, together with half a cup of chopped parsley, add to bowl. Shred a duck leg confit into thin strips, add to bowl, season to taste add 2Tblspn olive oil and mix well. Leave to absorb flavours, enjoy

Muntjac Haunch on bone - SlowCooked

 As so often, failed to take any photos as pushed to get it done. Have had muntjac haunch before but underwhelmed as flavour was so mild it scarcely came through. This haunch is small but should still be enough to feed four people.This time set about it differently. Decided to pot roast it in a slow cooker on a bed of sweet vegetables. It worked a treat. The vegetable enhanced and married to the venison flavour, the meat was so tender, it was a knockout. Try it and see if you agree. 

In a very hot skillet with a cup of (olive) oil sear the haunch until brown on all sides, set aside. In the same skillet, reduce heat to low and toss in the stalks of a head of celery cut in 15mm slices, together with the leaf stalk ends and the heart. Add two medium onions chopped into comparable sizes to celery. Stir and let sweat until onions become transparent. Raise heat again and pour in 2/3rd bottle white wine until it bubbles vigorously. Tip contents of skillet into the slow cooker. Add about 12 juniper berries, teaspoon of peppercorns, dessert-spoon of dried oregano (preferably fresh if to hand), three bay leaves and four cloves of garlic coarsely chopped. Top with chicken stock until liquid is around an inch deep. Place haunch ontop of these vegetables. (optional, cover top of haunch with four rashers of smoked bacon). Set SlowCooker to high and leave for 3 -3.5 hours. Resist temptation to lift lid! The developing smell will tell when it is nearing ready, I checked meat with thermometer for 70C.

Take out haunch and rest it.

Scoop all the vegetables to one side, strain and pour off all the liquid into a pan and boil and reduce until it just begins to thicken. Add two tablespoons of redcurrant jelly, adjust seasoning. As I had them, I added two handfuls of fresh cranberries at the last minute.

Slice meat and serve on a bed of the vegetables (and bacon cut into thin strips), discarding any large pieces, then pour the sauce over the meat.  Serve and enjoy!

• haunch of muntjac on bone 
• cup of oil
  
• head of celery
• 2 medium onions
• peppercorns
• 3 bay leaves
• 12 juniper berries
• 4 cloves garlic 
• 1 dstspn dried oregano
• white wine
• chicken stock
• 4 smkd bacon rashers (optional)
• Tblspn redcurrant jelly
• seasoning