Sweet chicken and pear casserole

This recipe comes from Bite columnist Allyson Gofton's new cookbook. Slow Cooked focuses around the slow cooker, some recipes cheap and cheerful for weeknights, others more indulgent and adventurous. (Allyson Gofton, Penguin NZ RRP$50)

Ingredients

1 ⅕ kgs	Chicken, or use 6 chicken leg and thigh portions (Main)
50 g	Butter
2	Onions, peeled and quartered
1	Bay leaf
1 tsp	Fresh thyme
1	Cinnamon stick
1 Tbsp	Cardamom pod, whole, crushed
½ cup	Raisins
2	Pears, peeled and quartered (Main)
1	Orange, grated rind only
2 Tbsp	Brandy
1 cup	White wine, use a riesling or pinot gris
1 cup	Chicken stock
1 Tbsp	Honey
½ cup	Pistachio nuts

Directions

1. Turn the slower cooker on to low to pre-warm while gathering and preparing the ingredients.
2. Using kitchen shears or scissors, cut the chicken into 8 portions.
3. Heat half the butter in a frying pan and brown the chicken pieces well. This will be best done in batches, adding in more butter as required. Transfer to the slow cooker.
4. Add the onion to the pan and toss in any remaining butter until the onion pieces become golden in colour. Add the bay leaf, thyme, cinnamon and cardamom to the pan and toss over the heat until the pan's contents smell fragrant. Transfer to the slow cooker, adding in the raisins, pear and orange rind.
5. Into the frying pan carefully pour the brandy and flambe. Once the flames have died down, pour in the wine, stock and honey and bring slowly to the boil, scraping off any sediment that has formed on the bottom of the pan. These crusty brown bits will add wonderful flavour to the casserole.
6. Cook on low for 5–6 hours or on high for 3–4 hours. Add the pistachio nuts before serving with couscous and maybe coarsely mashed, roasted pumpkin.