Chicken stew with spicy potato wedges

It was a rainy morning, the nth in a row. To counteract the gloom I threw together some seasoned potato wedges in the oven to go with the slow-cooker chicken stew I made overnight.

Slow cooker chicken stew
This is so simple it's not even a recipe. I first simmered a few skinless, boneless chicken thighs in a pot in about a cup of water until the juices were extracted from the chicken and the liquid at the bottom of the pan ran clear. I threw the chicken pieces and juices into the slow cooker, added some sliced red onion, half a 23 oz can of tinned tomatoes and some of the tomato juice, 1 carrot cut into wedges and about a cup of sliced mushrooms. A bit of salt and some chicken stock for extra flavour. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. The result will be magic. Serve with boiled potatoes, or if you want to go the distance, the spicy wedges I made which filled the kitchen with a wonderful mouthwatering complex aroma.

Spicy potato wedges

4 large potatoes
Some olive oil
Scant teaspoon salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
Dash of black pepper
2 tsp minced garlic

Scrub the spuds thoroughly. Don't peel. Cut each into 8 wedges. Cook in boiling water 8 minutes. Drain and keep in a warm pan.

You'll need a baking tray big enough to accommodate the taters. Line it with aluminum foil to make cleanup easier later. Grease lightly with olive oil.

In a medium bowl, pour olive oil on the potatoes and toss to distribute. Combine the salt, pepper and other spices and add to potatoes. Make sure all the wedges are seasoned. Stick in a preheated 400 F oven and bake for about an hour or until the wedges are crisp.