slow cooker chicken stew advice

[JapanNextYear]

Disclaimer - I don't use my slow cooker for anything except stock usually after a couple of really duff meal attempts - just tasted bland.

However, tomorrow I was thinking of trying a chicken thigh (with skin and bones) with chorizo thing in it.

If I fry onions and garlic and chorizo and tip into the cooker with some stock and put the browned chicken thighs on top will that work?

[canyou]

Yes it should but make sure you get all the bits from the pan into the slow cooker and less liquid then a conventional recipe.

[frenchfancy]

Use much less liquid than normal and up the spices. Slow cooker food can taste bland if you don't compensate for the spicing, I use almost double what I would in a normal recipe. If I were using chorizo as the spicing then I would add extra paprika.

[JapanNextYear]

Do bay leaves and thyme go a bit bitter if left in the slow cooker too long - or can I use them with impunity?

[dreamingofsun]

i use bayleaves and thyme a lot and have never noticed them going bitter. i do a similar recipe to this and also put peppers in too and some oregano...called spanish chicken here. i'd use all the stock cube but just a fraction of the water - will look very dry. i don't bother frying....sausages only thing i fry

[JapanNextYear]

Ta! I thought frying the chicken might give it a chance of having crispy-ish skin when it came out. Won't it look a bit pale otherwise?

[dreamingofsun]

i normally pull the skin off before cooking as it adds fat but won't be nice and cripsy like from the oven even if you do pre fry. it doesn't really matter though....thats one of the joys of slow cookers....sling it and a leave it to cook

[canyou]

I also tend to remove the skin unless I intend to bung into the oven for 20 min to crisp it up