Slow-cooker chicken and shiitake

Put it in, walk away, come back to dinner. About 250 mg sodium per serving, and most of the flavour comes from the shiitake and the water they soaked in. No bouillon, no sauce packet.

Method

1. Soak the dried shiitake in the 800 g hot water for 30 minutes. Strain the water through a fine sieve and keep it. Remove tough stems and slice the mushrooms.
2. Put the onion, celery, carrots and garlic in the slow cooker, then the thawed chicken and shiitake. Use a cooker sized for this batch, following its fill guidance.
3. Pour in the strained soaking water, leaving any grit behind. Add the pepper and cover.
4. Cook on low for about 240–360 minutes, until the centre of every breast reaches 74 °C and the vegetables are tender. Start checking at 240 minutes; slow cookers vary. Never part-cook chicken to finish later.
5. Shred or slice the chicken and divide it, the vegetables and the liquid evenly into four servings. Salt at the table if wanted.

Notes

• Serve with cooked brown rice or barley; the grain and any table salt are extra and aren't included in the nutrition estimate.
• The estimate uses raw chicken with about 45 mg sodium per 100 g, celery with about 80 mg and carrots with about 69 mg. Their naturally occurring sodium brings this batch to about 250 mg per serving without added salt. Packaged chicken can change that figure. All nutrition estimates await dietitian review.
• Portion into shallow containers with some liquid and refrigerate within 120 minutes. Keep at 4 °C or colder and eat within 3 days.
• Freeze extra portions promptly after chilling. At −18 °C, this stew is best within 3 months for quality; it stays safe while kept frozen. Thaw in the fridge, never on the counter. Reheat until the centre reaches 74 °C.