This started out as a chicken cacciatore (Italian hunter’s chicken) – minus the mushrooms, which I think are traditional in hunter’s chicken (of any nationality). But I had lots of red peppers to use up, and pitted black olives, so I was in two minds – Spanish chicken, or chicken cacciatore? So this is a bit of both and you’ll have to forgive my indecision.

I had bought some free range chicken thighs which are not only amazing value but impart a really meaty flavour and ideal for a fairly slow cook. Sometimes other cuts of chicken can be a bit bland.

I love using both the hob and my slow cooker to make stews, but every so often I want to bake something in the oven. It really makes for a very different flavour – so for this recipe I pulled out my old (but very well loved) Le Creuset, and got to work.

There was plenty of juice left over after the chicken was eaten, so I heated it up on Sunday night for a late supper after a long, hot and very tedious train journey from Somerset. All it needed was a bit of embellishment in the form of some chunky sourdough bread pieces.

Serves two.

Ingredients 

• 4 boned chicken thighs, roughly chopped and seasoned with salt and pepper
• 1 large onion roughly chopped
• Clove of garlic, chopped
• 1 red pepper, sliced into strips
• 2 glasses of red wine
• Tin of tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• Finely chopped leaves of a sprig of rosemary
• Handful of pitted black olives, copped
• Splash of olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C.
2. Heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the chicken thighs, turning frequently, until brown. Put to one side.
3. Cook the onions in the pan, until soft, add the garlic and peppers and cook gently for about five minutes. Add the red wine and turn up the heart so that it bubbles up and the alcohol is cooked off. Add the tomatoes, bay leaves, rosemary and olives. Season to taste.
4. Bake for 45 minutes.

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