Howdy folks! 🙂

‘Village chickens’ (as they are known in these parts), or Free Range chickens are back in vogue these days, I believe, due to the growing demand for ‘healthier’ food options; and folks generally being more conscious of what goes into their bodies. Because they tend to be tough and gamey, cooking them well is a matter many feel should be left to professionals lol. Enter here my secret weapon – The Slow cooker 😉

The tough meat is what actually makes them ideal for slow cooking, as this method ensures the chicken is tenderly cooked over time, while maintaining all its ‘rustic’ and gamey flavor 🙂

Here’s my take on it. Feel free to cook away, and do let me know how it turns out 🙂

Slow Cooker Recipe – Free Range/’Village’ Chicken

Recipe by LubayaCourse: MainDifficulty: Medium

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

hours

Ingredients

1 Free Range/Village Chicken
1 Tablespoon Chicken Spice
2 Teaspoons Royco Chicken Gravy Mix
1 Tablespoon Bisto Original Gravy powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 medium onion
1 1/2 Medium Tomatoes
1 Large Green Pepper

Directions

On a cutting board with a sharp knife, cut the chicken up into your desired pieces. You’ll likely notice just how lean these birds tend to be, with very little fat on them. Must be all that walking around 😉
Place the pieces in a bowl/tuperpware dish and season well with your salt, pepper and chicken spice. You want to go light on very fragrant spices so you can still get the full ‘gamey’ flavor of the chicken.
Heat some oil in a large pan, and add your chicken pieces when the oil is hot.
The aim is to brown the chicken…and make sure the flesh still holds firm when cooked in the slow cooker.
From the pan, transfer the friend pieces to the slow cooker.
Next, cut up your onion and peppers , and grate your tomatoes
Saute the onions and green pepper for a few minutes in the same pan you used to fry the chicken. The remaining chicken bits in the pan will only add to the flavor. :-). Crush in your Garlic as well.
Add your grated Tomatoes to the pan, and stir gently to make sure everything is well combined.
Next, to make the gravy richer, mix your Bisto with 2 Teaspoons of Ryco Chicken mix, with water and then add the mixture to the pan.
Let that cook and simmer for about 5 minutes until the gravy comes together smoothly. It should be thick and smooth, but still a pouring consistency.
Pour the gravy over the chicken in the slow cooker.
Cover, and set on High heat to cook undisturbed for at least 4 hours. The key here is the longer the cooking time, the more tender the chicken becomes. I’ll admit I’ve left a slow cooker running overnight before…but that’s a story for another day 😉
After the prescribed time has elapsed, check for doneness using a fork or take out a small piece to taste. Once ready, remove from the slow cooker and serve with a starch of your choice. Which, for Maximum enjoyment in these parts, is Nshima lol. Enjoy! 🙂