Slow Cooker Savoury Chicken

I don’t know how it happens sometimes but I find an ingredient in my fridge or pantry and wonder how it got there. That’s how I stumbled across this Slow Cooker Savoury Chicken.

 

I would never have bought it. I know I sometimes get ingredients from family, friends or neighbours when they can’t use them. Why not? If they don’t want them, save them going to waste, I take them. (My sister is often cleaning out her pantry so I take what she can’t use.)

I can’t remember exactly where or when I got this jar of breakfast marmalade. We’re not really toast eaters here other than for Vegemite on toast. This marmalade was never going to get used on toast so I wondered how else I could use.

I remember I made this 4 Ingredient Apricot Chicken using just apricot jam so I thought I’d try the marmalade in a slow cooker chicken dish. Marmalade isn’t very sweet so it actually made the dish taste quite savoury.

 

I used up some red capsicum I had plus sliced an onion and put them on the bottom of the slow cooker.

 

Next, I put the chicken legs in a plastic bag with a couple tablespoons of plain flour, salt and pepper and made sure they were well coated. As the chicken cooks, the flour will help create the sauce.

 

In a bit of extra virgin olive oil, fry the chicken legs until golden. You don’t have to do this but I think frying the meat before putting in the slow cooker helps add a nice flavour. They’re now making slow cookers with a browning plate built in. When my slow cookers eventually go, I’ll make sure I get one of those.

 

Put the chicken in the slow cooker with 1 cup of chicken stock, the marmalade and set and forget. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours, or until chicken is cooked through.

 

Serve on top of rice, pasta or mashed potato as I did with a side of vegetables. What a warm, hearty, tasty meal this was and one I’ll remember. I may even need to buy marmalade all the time now. You can use any meat like pork or turkey or any kind of marmalade. You can use other kinds of jams as well but they might be a little sweeter than this dish was. Never look past those hard to use ingredients. You can always find a use for them in some way.

 

Recipe

• chicken legs or thighs (or pork, turkey)
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1/2 capsicum, diced (or other vegetables like carrot, sweet potato etc)
• 1/2 cup breakfast marmalade (or other flavoured marmalade)
• 2 tbs plain flour, for dredging
• salt & pepper
• 1 cup chicken stock

1. Add the sliced onion and red capsicum to the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. In a plastic bag, add flour, salt and pepper and the chicken and toss until well coated.
3. In a pan, add the olive oil and brown the chicken until golden.
4. Add to the slow cooker.
5. In the cup of chicken stock, add marmalade and stir well until mixed through and add to the slow cooker.
6. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours or until chicken is cooked through. (This recipe can be cooked in the oven or the stove top.)
7. Serve with mashed potato, pasta or rice and a side of vegetables.

 

Lemon Myrtle Scones with Finger Lime Marmalade & Cream

Happy Australia Day! Today is the day we commemorate the landing of the First Fleet in Australia in 1788 and an excuse for a public holiday. What a better way to celebrate then with scones with jam and cream. I’ve added an Australian bush tucker theme to my scones this time with the addition of the native Australian spice lemon myrtle and a finger lime marmalade.

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Scones served split open and spread with jam and then topped with cream have become an Aussie tradition. (We just so happened to steal it from the British and their Devonshire Tea.)  Scones are usually plain but can be filled with sultanas, dates or flavoured with pumpkin. Jam is traditionally strawberry but I’ve gone for a real Aussie theme and tried the finger lime marmalade I had in the fridge and they were absolutely gorgeous! I spread some with strawberry jam for the traditionalists among us (and the kids).

I used my lemon myrtle spice mix lurking in the pantry, just waiting to be used, and my favourite scone recipe from Lady Flo Bjelke-Peterson, former Premier of Queensland Joh’s wife who is very famous for her pumpkin scones. I love her recipes.

Scones are such an easy thing to bake and made with pantry staples. My dough was a little wet so I added a bit extra flour to the board before cutting out. You might have your favourite recipe which makes a light fluffy scone but my secret is not to overwork the dough. I learnt from my Nanna, a master scone maker in her day, who told me to always mix the dough with a knife which will eliminate overworking and only just bring the ingredients together until a dough forms. Lightly press onto a floured board to your desired thickness and either cut into squares with a knife or use a cutter to cut out scones.

I very rarely pick up super bargains from major department stores because I don’t normally shop at them and I’m never there at the right time but I was the other week. I picked up a beautiful green biscuit tin (complete with choc chip cookie mix, which I threw out because it was made in China and I was a bit suspect about that) but it came with this beautiful ceramic biscuit press and cookie cutter. It only cost me 10 cents! Can’t wait to try out the biscuit press.

Once the scones are cut out, brush with a little milk and bake in a hot oven for approximately 10 minutes.

Wrap in a clean tea towel once baked until ready to use. 

Cut in half, spread with jam and top with whipped cream.

I’ll definitely be looking for new ways to use my lemon myrtle spice. It added a lovely, subtle lemon flavour to the scones and the finger lime marmalade was luscious. Hope you all have a lovely Australia Day no matter how you’re celebrating.

Lemon Myrtle Scones with Finger Lime Marmalade & Cream

(based on “Classic Country Collection” scone recipe by Flo Bjelke-Petersen)

• 2 cups self raising flour
• 1 tsp lemon myrtle spice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbs butter, melted
• 1 cup milk
• extra flour for rolling & cutting

• Finger Lime marmalade or jam of your choice
• fresh cream, whipped until thick

1. Preheat oven to 220 deg C.
2. Mix spice and salt into flour
3. Add melted butter and milk and mix with a knife until just combined.
4. Sprinkle board or bench top with extra flour.
5. Put dough on floured board and press out until approx 1.5cm (1 inch) thick.
6. Cut dough into squares or cut out shapes with a scone/cookie cutter which has had the edges dipped into flour to avoid sticking.
7. Place on baking tray lined with baking paper.
8. Bake for approx 10 minutes or until golden brown.
9. Wrap in clean tea towel until ready to serve.
10. Slice each scone horizontally and spread with jam and top with a teaspoon of whipped cream.