Slow cooker chicken and butternut squash stew

Ingredients

    100g/3½oz plain flour

    4 tbsp sunflower oil

    500g/1lb 2oz boneless, skinless chicken thigh, chopped into 2.5cm/1in pieces

    1 onion, chopped

    4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

    2 chillies, finely chopped

    175ml/6fl oz white wine

    ½ butternut squash, peeled, chopped into 2.5cm/1in pieces

    300ml/10fl oz chicken stock

    5 sprigs fresh thyme

    3 bay leaves

    4 tbsp creme fraiche

    salt and freshly ground black pepper

    small handful chopped fresh parsley

Preparation method

   1. Sprinkle the flour onto a plate.

   2. Heat half of the oil in a frying pan, dredge the chicken pieces in the flour and fry for 4-5 minutes, or until browned all over. (You may need to brown the chicken in batches.) Tip the browned chicken into the slow cooker.

 3.   Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and fry the onion for five minutes, then add the garlic and chilli and fry for another 2-3 minutes. Add the wine and continue to cook for another few minutes, or until the volume of the liquid is reduced by half.

   4. Tip the onion mixture into the slow cooker.

   5. Add the butternut squash, chicken stock, thyme and bay leaves to the slow cooker. Stir everything together, pressing down so that everything is covered in liquid. Cook for 8-10 hours on low.

  6.  About 30 minutes before serving, stir in the creme fraiche and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for a further 30 minutes, then stir in the parsley.