A variation

Chicken Stew, my version of Nigel Slater's Chicken stew and mash, Kitchen Diaries.

Chicken thighs, 8
Olive oil - 50ml, plus extra
Balsamic vinegar - 50ml
garlic - 4 cloves, peeled
Dried herbs - an Italian mix
bay leaves - 4 or 5
pared rind of a small orange
leeks - 3 or 4, thickly sliced

Put the chicken in a bowl (not plastic). Pour over the olive oil and a couple of tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, tuck in the bay leaves and garlic cloves, a scatter of dried herbs, salt and pepper and the orange rind. Leave overnight or for at least four or five hours.

Set the oven at 200ºC. Heat enough oil in a shallow pan. Shaking each piece of chicken (the marinade will spit in the hot pan), fry each piece until golden brown on each side. Transfer to a casserole dish with a lid. In the same pan, fry the leeks over a low heat until they soften - not too hot or they will colour too much and become bitter. Add the garlic, the marinade, the rest of the balsamic and a litre of water. Bring to a boil and pour over the chicken, with the bay and orange rind. 

Put in the oven for 2 hours, checking partway through that there is enough water to cover the chicken. Add salt, pepper or a little balsamic if you wish. Serve with mashed potato.