Ingredients

• 5.5lb Whole chicken (add/remove 20 minutes per lb, on the low heat setting cooking time if it’s a different weight)
• 2tbsp Unsalted butter (cubed)
• 2tbsp Olive oil
• 3 Garlic cloves (crushed)
• 2 Small oranges (halved)
• 2-3 Medium sized Russet potatoes (3/4inch cubes/halved chunks)
• Seasonings: Salt, pepper, granulated garlic, cayenne pepper and dried finely chopped basil leaves

• Optional: Vegetables; Baby carrots, celery, onion, things that absorb flavor but wont ‘disintegrate’ or ‘overcook’ whilst cooking for a long time

Method

1. If your chicken has giblets remove them and save them before inserting the orange halves into the inside of the chicken
2. Place your potatoes, garlic cloves and any vegetables on the bottom of the slow cooker. This will help elevate the chicken so it doesn’t end up with a super soggy skin or essentially being boiled in its own juices
3. Turn your slow cooker onto high to start heating up and pop the lid on whilst continuing to prepare the chicken
4. Pat down the chicken with a paper towel to remove any excess liquid, especially if the chicken has been put into a ‘solution’ to assist in transportation and ‘freshness’
5. Mix the oil with the seasonings, to the levels that work for you but be sure to not go too hard on the cayenne pepper or the basil as you want to keep it versatile for any leftover dishes, and rub all over the chicken before placing the chicken breast side up on top of the potatoes etc
6. Add the small pieces of butter around the top of the chicken, in between the legs/wings and the breasts
7. Cook on high for an hour before turning it down to low and cooking for another six hours
8. Either use a meat thermometer or a knife to make sure that the chicken is cooked through and juices are running clear. I used a knife for this and that caused the split to grow as it went under the broiler
9. Preheat a broiler to 575°F/300°C, transfer the chicken to an oven tray (if you used a knife to check the chicken place a little bit more cold butter into this slit to help ensure moisture stays locked in) and place under the broiler for 15 minutes to give the chicken skin some extra crisp and coloration without adding too much cooking time to the chicken itself. Put the slow cooker on to a ‘warm’ setting if you are wanting to eat any of the potatoes/vegetables until you are ready to serve
10. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for at least ten minutes, preferably longer, to ensure the juices stay in the chicken
11. Carve/break up the chicken and put the bones with the giblets you saved from earlier. You can use all this, the juices in the slow cooker and any vegetables you don’t eat to make into a stock (recipe coming soon)

Eating And Storage Tips

If you are going to use the giblets, bones, leftover vegetables and juices to make a stock be sure to do it within 24 hours.

Make sure any leftover chicken is in a properly sealed container and consumed within 4-5 days; 4 days for anything to be eaten cold, 5 days for anything getting thoroughly reheated but be sure to check its texture and smell just in case. If you wont be able to consume it all in this time make sure to put it in a freezer safe container in suitable portion sizes and use within a couple of weeks.

Ways to use leftovers (recipes and/or tips coming soon): Chicken and bacon risotto, chicken and bacon BBQ sticky sauce, chicken stock and chicken wraps.