RECIPES

Saucy Spanish Chicken with Green Olives

This slow cooker dinner has vibrant Spanish flavour but doesn’t take much effort to make. The earthy Spanish olives give a Mediterranean vibe and the generous addition of dry seasonings do the rest. While a lick of sherry is a nice finish, the sauce is still terrific without it.

Prep Time

15M

Cook Time

2H30M

Serves

4

Ingredients

8 chicken drumsticks

OR

bone-in chicken thighs

389 ml can tomato sauce

1 cup (250 mL) stuffed manzilla green olives

1 small Spanish or red onion, chopped, about 1 1/2 cups

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tsp (10 mL) dried thyme

1 tsp (5 mL) each cumin and paprika

1/4 cup (60 mL) sherry (optional)

1 tbsp (15 mL) cornstarch (optional)

Instructions

1 Pull skin from chicken and trim off any visible fat. Turn slow cooker to low or high depending on how long you want to cook the chicken. Pour in sauce. Measure out olives, then roughly chop and add. Stir in onion, garlic, thyme, cumin and paprika.
2 Place chicken in mixture and turn to coat, then turn bone-side up. Push into the sauce. Cook on low 5 to 6 hours or high for 2½ to 3 hours, until chicken reaches 165°F (74°C).
3 Stir in sherry if you like. If you want to thicken sauce, remove chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm. Stir cornstarch with a couple tablespoons (30 mL) water until smooth. Add to sauce and stir often until thickened, about 5 minutes. Serve chicken on rice, pasta or boiled potatoes with the sauce spooned over top. A scattering of parsley makes a colourful garnish.