Texas Style Chicken Stew

Oh. My. Gosh. This was a hit! We had some friends show up just as I was serving dinner. Even having just eaten out at a restaurant, they each had a bowl because they couldn't resist the spicy yummy aroma. I added more spice than it called for and I'm glad I did.

This recipe, originally from Saveur magazine, was adapted for the book “175 Essential Slow Cooker Classics” by Judith Finlayson.

(please ignore the ugly shadow my camera left on the plate.

The lighting in my kitchen is horrendous, this is the best shot I got.)

Serves 6

4 slices bacon

2 onions, chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crumbled

½ teaspoon black pepper

Salt

1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, including juice

1 cup chicken stock

3 pounds skinless, bone-in chicken thighs (about 12 thighs)

2 (14-ounce) cans creamstyle corn

1 tablespoon chili powder, dissolved in 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (I didn't have any chili powder, so I used 1/2 tablespoon of cayenne. It was spicy but not too much!)

1 teaspoon paprika

Pinch of cayenne pepper, optional

In a skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove and drain thoroughly on paper towel and crumble. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of fat from pan.

Reduce heat to medium. Add onions to pan and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, pepper and salt, to taste, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomatoes with juice and stock, and bring to a boil.

Arrange chicken over bottom of slow cooker and cover with vegetable mixture. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours, until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a fork. Add corn, chili powder mixture, paprika, cayenne and reserved bacon. Stir well. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes, until corn is heated through.