Looking for a simple dish after the holidays? You can make this one in the oven or the slow cooker (Crockpot). It's full of the flavors of the Mediterranean and satisfying on a cold winter night here in Chicago.
I like to use chicken legs/thighs, but you can use any cut. I think the dark meat holds up well to the cooking technique, so prefer it over chicken breasts. I'm serving it here over orzo, which is a rice shaped pasta. But it goes equally well over rice, couscous or noodles. You have some chunky red sauce and you don't want to lose a drop, so serving on top of these dishes is a must.
The recipe is not fussy so you can add or remove based on your tastes. I make it the classic way including olives and mushrooms, but they can be removed if you prefer. As you can see from the photo below, I just roughly chop all of the items and I use good quality crushed tomatoes and canned sliced mushrooms. Fresh of course works well too.
Today I'm doing mine in a Dutch Oven that is the perfect size for the four leg portions I'm preparing. You can use a slow cooker or another vessel that is oven safe, but you want to make sure your chicken just fits inside the container. I like the Dutch Oven best for this as I make and bake it all in the same vessel.
Ingredients
4 chicken legs with thighs attached (as shown)
1/3 cup flour
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
fresh ground black pepper (8 grinds)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion
1/3 cup white wine
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 large stalk celery
1 large green pepper
6-8 cloves fresh garlic
1/2 cup pitted kalamata or niçoise olives
1 small can sliced mushrooms
2 cups chicken stock
Instructions
Brown the Chicken: Mix the flour with the spices in a large pie or similar plate. Heat the oil in a Dutch Oven or heavy skillet if using a slow cooker. Dredge the chicken pieces in flour and fry two at a time on both sides until golden brown. Set aside and cook the other two pieces. Set aside.
Prepare the Base: Add the onions to the hot vessel and cook in any drippings lightly browning the onions. Add the wine and scrape loose any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining ingredients except the chicken broth and stir to combine. Return the chcken legs to the pot or transfer all to a slow cooker. Push the chicken legs down into the ingredients. Add enough chicken stock so that they are covered 2/3 of the way up the chicken. Use a spoon to move things around a bit so the liquid combines with the other ingredients. Do no fully submerge the chicken under the cooking liquid.
In a pre-heated oven (300F degrees) or slow cooker (on high), let the chicken cook covered. Check periodically to see if additional liquid is required. If so add more stock. Cook for 3 hours until tender. Remove from heat (or turn off slow cooker) and let rest for 30 minutes before serving. Serve over pasta, rice or noodles.
The recipe is not fussy so you can add or remove based on your tastes. I make it the classic way including olives and mushrooms, but they can be removed if you prefer. As you can see from the photo below, I just roughly chop all of the items and I use good quality crushed tomatoes and canned sliced mushrooms. Fresh of course works well too.
Today I'm doing mine in a Dutch Oven that is the perfect size for the four leg portions I'm preparing. You can use a slow cooker or another vessel that is oven safe, but you want to make sure your chicken just fits inside the container. I like the Dutch Oven best for this as I make and bake it all in the same vessel.
Ingredients
4 chicken legs with thighs attached (as shown)
1/3 cup flour
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
fresh ground black pepper (8 grinds)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion
1/3 cup white wine
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 large stalk celery
1 large green pepper
6-8 cloves fresh garlic
1/2 cup pitted kalamata or niçoise olives
1 small can sliced mushrooms
2 cups chicken stock
Instructions
Brown the Chicken: Mix the flour with the spices in a large pie or similar plate. Heat the oil in a Dutch Oven or heavy skillet if using a slow cooker. Dredge the chicken pieces in flour and fry two at a time on both sides until golden brown. Set aside and cook the other two pieces. Set aside.
Prepare the Base: Add the onions to the hot vessel and cook in any drippings lightly browning the onions. Add the wine and scrape loose any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining ingredients except the chicken broth and stir to combine. Return the chcken legs to the pot or transfer all to a slow cooker. Push the chicken legs down into the ingredients. Add enough chicken stock so that they are covered 2/3 of the way up the chicken. Use a spoon to move things around a bit so the liquid combines with the other ingredients. Do no fully submerge the chicken under the cooking liquid.
In a pre-heated oven (300F degrees) or slow cooker (on high), let the chicken cook covered. Check periodically to see if additional liquid is required. If so add more stock. Cook for 3 hours until tender. Remove from heat (or turn off slow cooker) and let rest for 30 minutes before serving. Serve over pasta, rice or noodles.
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