Antony Worrall Thompson's fruity sausage and chicken stew recipe

This simple country stew is packed with flavour and guaranteed to become a family favourite. It's even tastier wth a glass of cider or a fruity white wine.

Ingredients

• 2tbsp olive oil
• 450g (1lb) Toulouse or garlic sausages, cut into 1cm (½in) slices
• 8 chicken thighs, skin on
• 4tbsp sherry vinegar
• 300ml (½ pint) chicken stock
• 150ml (¼ pint) dry white wine
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 sage leaves
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 16 plums or greengages, halved and stoned
• 8 garlic cloves, halved lengthways
• 2 large Granny Smith or Cox's apples, peeled, cored and cut into
• 2.5cm (1in) cubes
• 2tbsp Dijon mustard
• 12 new potatoes, halved
• 25g (1oz) unsalted butter, diced
• 1ttbsp finely chopped mint
• 3tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve

:

Crusty bread

Buttered cabbage

Method

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the sausages and chicken in batches over a high heat. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Pour off most of the oil from the frying pan, add the vinegar and bring to the boil, scraping any sticky bits from the bottom and stirring together.
3. Add the stock, wine, bay leaves, sage and thyme, then spoon into the slow cooker. Add the plums, garlic, apple, mustard, potatoes, sausages and chicken and stir to combine.Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hrs until the meat is cooked.
4. Add the butter, mint and parsley, and swirl to combine. Taste and check the seasoning. Serve with crusty bread and some buttered cabbage, if you like.