Chicken and mushroom Provençal
Slow-cooked herb infused chicken in a mushroom and red wine sauce with cannellini beans and shallots. Prepare the ingredients ahead and freeze, so you can just pop them in the crockpot or slow cooker when you’re in a rush. So easy!
Serves: 4
Time to make: 7 hrs 30 mins
Hands-on time: 30 mins
Ingredients
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (600g)
- 1 tablespoon mixed peppercorns, roughly crushed
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves only
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 6 shallots, peeled, sliced
- 2 cups button mushrooms, halved
- 2 cups brown or chestnut mushrooms, halved
- 2 x 400g cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- ¹/³ cup tomato paste
- 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 cup red wine
- boiling water
- To serve
- 4 slices sourdough bread, lightly toasted
- a few sprigs fresh thyme
Instructions
1 Using a rolling pin, flatten chicken thighs. In a freezer bag, place chicken, peppercorns, garlic, half of the herbs and half of the oil.
2 In a pan, heat remaining oil and cook shallots with remaining herbs until lightly golden. Set aside to cool. In a second freezer bag, place shallots, mushrooms and cannellini beans.
3 In jug, combine tomato paste, mustard, wine and ½ cup water. Pour into a third freezer bag.
4 Seal each bag well, shake to combine ingredients, flatten to remove any air, and clearly label. Place flat in the freezer together.
5 Two hours before cooking, remove all bags from freezer. Preheat slow cooker for 5 minutes on low. Empty in the contents of the freezer bags – chicken first, then mushrooms then sauce. Add 1 cup boiling water. Use a large spoon to break up ingredients a little.
6 Cover and cook for 7-8 hours. Adjust seasoning. Serve with toasted bread and thyme.
Variations
Make it gluten free: Use gluten-free bread and check tomato paste and mustard are gluten free.
HFG tip
Handy hints for slow-cooker freezer bags
Make sure you use proper freezer bags.
- Remove all air from the bags once they are filled.
- Label each bag clearly including the date of freezing.
- Freeze recipe bags in a group together.
- Keep bags as flat as possible when freezing.
- Remove bags from the freezer at least two hours before placing in the slow cooker. Or remove the bags from the freezer the night before, store in the fridge and reduce the amount of boiling water added to them by half.
- Preheat slow cooker before adding the bag contents.
- Always add meat portion to the cooker first.
- Always add liquid bag last.
- Add boiling water to the cooker as the last ingredient when stated in a recipe.
NOTE: If you have a nut allergy and are using packaged goods in recipes, please check the allergen warning on the packet regarding nuts.
Nutrition Info (per serve)
Kilojoules 2180kJ
Calories 521cal
Protein 45g
Total fat 16g
–Saturated fat 4g
Carbohydrates 35g
–Sugars 6g
Dietary fibre 15g
Sodium 520mg
Calcium 80mg
Iron 4mg
Note: Nutrition composition will vary depending on the exact ingredients used. For a guide to purchasing healthier packaged goods and general grocery items see here.
Photographer: Bryce Carleton
For more healthy recipes and expert diet advice go to www.healthyfood.com
© Healthy Life media Limited. All rights reserved. Reproduction without written permission prohibited.
© Healthy Life media Limited. All rights reserved. Reproduction without written permission prohibited.
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