I saw this extra cute mini squash and had to buy it…I just wanted to create something tasty to fill it haha!
(Serves 6)
- 4 Chicken thighs and 4 drumsticks (or any other equivalent number combination) with fat trimmed off
- 1 Large red onion sliced
- 2 Tomatoes
- 1tsp.Tomato puree
- 1/2tsp. Mild olive oil
- 1tbsp. Smoked paprika
- 1/2tsp. Ground cinnamon
- 1tsp Ground cumin
- 2 crushed Garlic cloves
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1/2tsp. Chili powder (optional)
- 1tsp. Chipotle paste (optional)
- 400ml Boiled water
- 400g Tinned beans (I used a mixture of cannellini, adzuki, & flageolet)
- Fresh coriander chopped
- Salt & Pepper
- Preheat your oven to 180oC or 160oC fan
- Heat an oven proof pan on a high heat and quickly sear your chicken so the skin is golden brown
- Remove the chicken and put in a bowl on the side – it shouldn’t be cooked through at this point
- Pour the fat out of your pan but don’t rinse as you want to keep all those golden chickeny bits stuck to the bottom of the pan
- Add the oil, onions and garlic to the pan, turn down to a medium heat, and cook till golden
- Now add the cumin, cinnamon, paprika, and chili powder or chipotle if you want some spice!
- Cook the onions and spices together for a couple of minutes then add the tomatoes, tomato puree and finally the water
- Simmer your sauce for around 5 minutes, and season with salt and pepper
- Take your pot of the stove and submerge the chicken into the sauce
- Top with a bay leave and put in the oven with the lid on for 1.5 to 2 hours – the chicken should be falling off the bone by the time it’s taken out of the oven
- Remove the chicken from the sauce, take off the skin and pull out the bones, making sure you don’t miss any small bones or pieces of cartilage
- Shred the chicken and add back to the sauce along with the beans
- Give it all a stir and put back in the oven for a further 10 minutes
- Serve with baked squash, sweet potato, rice or whatever you fancy and garnish with coriander
