Chicken Simmered with Sherry Olives and Artichokes

This is a delicious coq-au-vin cooked conveniently in a slow cooker while you are off with your day. The thought of returning home to a dish like this simmering away keeps you going all day long.

1/4 lb bacon, diced

6 chicken thighs, trimmed of fat

1 large sweet onion, sliced

1 lb button mushrooms (I used baby portobello), thickly sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp rosemary, minced

1 tsp herbes de Provence (or Italian herbs)

4 2-inch vine-ripened tomatoes (or plum tomatoes), cut into 8 wedges, about a quart

1 quart chicken stock (I use Trader Joe’s turkey stock)

2 cups cream sherry or Madeira wine

1 12-oz jar marinated artichokes (I used Trader Joe’s grilled artichoke halves), drained

12 oz pitted Calamata olives (I used Trader Joe’s), drained

I used a browning slow cooker for this dish, but it could just as well be done on the stovetop, if you are home for it. My slow cooker allows browning in the pot - convenient. But of yours doesn’t just brown on the stovetop and transfer to the slow cooker.

Heat large slow cooker to browning (or a large skillet on the stove) and sauté the bacon until fairly crisp, and it has rendered most of its fat.

Remove bacon to a large bowl and add half the chicken thighs to the slow cooker. Brown each side for about 2-3 minutes and then remove to the bowl with the bacon. Brown the first side of the second batch, flip and then add the onions.

Brown the second side and then remove chicken to the bowl with the bacon.

Add the mushrooms to the onions and continue sautéing for about 10 minutes until the mushrooms have browned up and the onions are soft and caramelized a bit.

Add the garlic, rosemary and herbs de Provence, and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Remove mushrooms to the bowl with the chicken and add the tomatoes to the low cooker set to browning. Sizzle the tomatoes for about 5-8 minutes, until they break down and darken in color (and enrich in flavor).

Add the stock, sherry or wine, artichokes and olives to the slow cooker. Now nestle the chicken and mushroom mixture into the stock, distributing evenly.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Serves 4-6.

Comments

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