Ingredients:
8 chicken thighs, or combination of different chicken parts
4 Roma tomatoes, quartered
1/2 onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
120ml chicken stock
120ml white wine
2 waxy potatoes, cubed (no need to peel)
2 carrots, sliced into rounds (scrub but do not peel)
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Good quality oil for browning the chicken
For the Spice Mix:
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 tbsp sesame seeds
2 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried oregano, crumbled
1/4 tsp whole allspice
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp ground cumin
Method:
Set a large, heavy-based, frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot add a generous glug of oil then season the chicken with salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Add to the hot oil and fry until nicely coloured all over. Transfer the chicken pieces to your slow cooker then prepare the sauce.
Using the same pan in which you fried the chicken, add the tomatoes, garlic, onion, and bell pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened. Take off the heat and set aside to cool slightly then turn into a blender.
Take a small non-stick frying pan and set over medium heat. Add in the ingredients for the spice mix and cook, stirring constantly for about 90 seconds, until slightly darkened and aromatic (take care the spices to not burn). Take off the heat and turn into the blender with the tomato mixture.
Pour the chicken stock into the blender then pulse to chop before rendering the ingredients to a puree. Pour this mixture over the chicken in your slow cooker. De-glaze the pan you used to fry the chicken with the white wine then pour this into the slow cooker, too.
Now add the carrots and potatoes. Season to taste with salt and freshly-ground black pepper then mix all the ingredients together.
Cover with the lid and cook on low temperature for 210 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked.
Serve accompanied by rice (Salvadorean carrot rice is an excellent accompaniment).
If you don't want to prepare this dish in a slow cooker, simply add all the ingredients to a cast iron casserole (Dutch oven), bring to a boil and simmer for about 80 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
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