Prepare the Chicken: In a bowl, toss the chicken thigh chunks with the seasoned plain flour until they are lightly coated. This helps create a golden-brown crust and will also help to thicken the stew later on.

Brown the Chicken: Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan or Dutch oven over a medium-high heat. Working in two batches to avoid crowding the pan, brown the chicken pieces on all sides until golden. This should take about 5-7 minutes per batch. Transfer the browned chicken to your slow cooker pot.

Sauté the Vegetables: Add the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil to the same pan. Lower the heat to medium and add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and the onion is translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.

Deglaze the Pan: If using, pour the white wine into the pan. Scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon to lift all those flavourful browned bits. Let the wine bubble and reduce by about half. This step adds a fantastic depth of flavour. If not using wine, you can use a splash of the chicken stock instead.

Combine in Slow Cooker: Transfer the sautéed vegetables and the deglazing liquid into the slow cooker with the chicken. Add the cubed potatoes, pour over the 700ml of chicken stock, and stir in the dried thyme and bay leaves. Give everything a good stir to combine.

Cook Low and Slow: Secure the lid on the slow cooker. Cook on the LOW setting for 6-8 hours or on the HIGH setting for 3-4 hours. You’ll know it’s ready when the potatoes are tender and the chicken is falling apart.

Final Touches: Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the frozen peas and the double cream (if using). Place the lid back on and let it sit for another 10-15 minutes for the peas to cook through and the stew to heat up again. After testing this recipe five times, I finally got it just right by adding the cream at the end to keep it from splitting.

Serve: Season generously with salt and black pepper to your taste. Ladle the hot stew into bowls and garnish with a sprinkle of fresh, chopped parsley before serving.