Provencal Chicken Stew

It's been one of those rainy, cold and dreary days that's got me thinking about Chicken Stew. Not just any bland flavorless chicken stew, but the kind of dinner that has you sitting down in front of a big warm bowl of deliciousness that's been bubbling away in the slow cooker for hours filling the home with wonderful aromas. You know what I'm talking about. People walk through the door and immediately say "mmmmmmmm what is that cooking? and you answer, "Provencal Chicken Stew" and they say "wow, it smells fantastic, you sure must've been busy cooking this dinner" and you smile because you know that the slow cooker did most of the work for you. All you have left to do is sit down and enjoy the dinner that effortlessly came together melding the briny flavor of kalamata olives with the sweet taste of crushed tomatoes and white wine, herbs and garlic. Say it with me, MMMMMM. It's time to get your slow cooker out from the cabinet and get started :)

Provencal Chicken Stew (serves 4-6)

3/4 c. plus 2 T. all purpose flour
salt, pepper, to taste
1 chicken, cut into serving pieces and skinned
1/4 c. olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2- 2/3 c. dry white wine
1 (14 1/2oz) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 c. freshly chopped parsley for garnish
1/4 c. fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade, for garnish
1 c. kalamata olives for garnish

combine the 3/4 c. flour and salt in a plastic bag. Add the chicken to the bag, several pieces at a time, and shake to coat completely.
Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat and add the oil. Add the chicken and cook, turning once for 8-10 minutes, creating a lightly browned crust. Remove the chicken from the pan and add to the slow cooker. Add the garlic to the pan and stir for 2 minutes. Add the wine and stir to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Increase the heat to high and add the tomatoes and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring frequently for 10 minutes so some of the tomato liquid evaporates. Pour the onion mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker. Add kalamata olives to top. Cover and cook on low for 3-8 hours. At 3-4 hours, the chicken will still be firm and hold it's shape. At 6-8 hours, the meat will be falling off the bone.
Diving the chicken among dinner plates and garnish with the parsley and basil.

*Note- You may be familiar with slow cooker recipes that dump all ingredients into the cooker and turn on. This is not one of them. Do not skip any of the steps, as each in important to creating a dish that is perfectly seasoned, delicious and well cooked.