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 crème fraîche
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• small handful chopped fresh parsley

Directions

• Sprinkle the flour onto a plate.
• 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.
• 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.
• Tip the onion mixture into the slow cooker.
• 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.
• About 30 minutes before serving
• stir in the crème fraîche and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for a further 30 minutes
• then stir in the parsley.