After a bit of a break to end the year with family for Christmas, I was musing over how to deal with some chicken parts. I usually buy my chickens whole and butcher it myself. That way I can have the carcass to make my own stock (which I freeze in 2 cup allotments for future use) and control the cuts. If I want a whole, bone-in chicken breast, I can do that. Sometimes I use the wings in my stock. It adds a rich flavour to the stock from the extra cartilaginous bits attached. This time, I thought I’d use them in the slow cooker to augment a flavourful sauce for chicken legs. I was standing over my morning toast before loading my slow cooker this morning and it went sweet, savoury and sticky: Sticky Sweet and Sour Cherry Chicken.

SWEET AND SOUR CHERRY CHICKEN – TWO WAYS

2 Sunshine Organic chicken legs (thigh and drumstick attached)

2 Sunshine Organic chicken wings (wingette, drumette and tips attached)

1/2 cup Rainbow Acres Pantry sour cherry jam

1/2 cup Coal Lake Honey Farms mixed flower honey

1/2 cup vinegar (I use pickling vinegar because it is slightly more acidic lending a more tart flavour overall)

1/4 cup Rainbow Acres Pantry dried sour cherries

1/2 cup August Organics chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

2 cups chicken stock (I use homemade)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1-1/2 cups Doef’s Greenhouses sweet bell peppers, sliced

   In a medium zip bag, add the chicken legs and wings, jam, honey and vinegar. Massage the flavours into the chicken pieces.

   Add the chicken pieces and the flavourful marinade to a slow cooker with the onion, celery, dried cherries, chicken stock and salt and pepper.

   Cover the slow cooker and simmer for 8 hours. When it is done, remove the chicken pieces and set aside to cool.

   Ladle the juices and simmered fruit and vegetables into a blender and purée until smooth. Transfer the purée to a wide-bottomed pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

   Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the sliced bell peppers and simmer for another 5 minutes. Shred the meat from the bones, discarding the skin, bone and cartilage.

   Stir into the simmering sauce and simmer for a further 5 minutes.

SERVICE OPTIONS:

OPTION #1: MAIN DISH

   Serve over cooked rice:

 

OPTION #2: CHEESE COURSE

   Serve over whole milk ricotta (my recipe for homemade whole milk ricotta is here):

Serves 4-6 in either course.