Crusty Life: 2nd October 2014

I have a slow cooker, the original Crock Pot to be precise. I chose this, slightly more expensive, brand because unlike many others, it has a timer. When the timer is up, the setting changes to from cooking to "warm", keeping your food at a pleasant temperature for your arrival home. I don't think I'd feel confident using a slow cooker otherwise, knowing that the food is going to continually cook until you can switch it off. I don't use the slow cooker too often but when I do, it causes me to reflect on what a helpful appliance it is.

Today I cooked a whole 3lb chicken with very little effort. I rubbed the chicken skin with a mixture of onion powder, garlic powder and cayenne pepper. I placed the chicken in the slow cooker, on a bed of carrot, onion and garlic cloves. No liquid was added. I set the cooker to low for six hours.

I left the house at 9am and returned at 4pm to a beautifully moist chicken, sitting on a sweet brothy mix of vegetables. Instead of scrambling around trying to concoct something to eat, I simply ripped of a leg and ate it, car keys still in hand. The system works!

Sticky Whiskey Marinaded Chicken Thighs

Marinades are a great way to treat a piece of meat and you can get really creative with your mixes. Dig around your cupboards to find ingredients that are collecting dust. For me, it was whiskey and balsamic vinegar, neither of which I use very often. I complimented with contrasting flavours to balance out the harshness of the alcohol and vinegar. The best way to soak the meat is to use a sealable plastic freezer bag. In any case, always use a nonreactive container, plastic or glass.

Sticky Whiskey Marinaded Chicken Thighs

Ingredients

6 free range chicken thighs
3 garlic cloves minced
1 TSP ground ginger

Equal amounts (I used half a cup measure) of:

Whiskey
Brown sugar
Olive oil

Half that amount of:

Balsamic vinegar or\and soy sauce

Method

Combine all the ingredients in a plastic zip lock bag and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to Gas 6\200°C\400°F

Place the chicken thighs in a roasting tin, with a little of the marinade.





Roast for 30 minutes

To make a glaze, cook the reminder of the marinade on the hob. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and cook over a medium flame until it reduces by half into a sticky sauce.

I ate mine with simple spuds and veg but you could equally just tear into it with your bare hands like the beast that you are.