Chicken with fennel, harissa & olives

Heat the oil in a nonstick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken, breast-side down, and fry for 5-7 minutes or until the skin is deep golden brown. Meanwhile, fill the kettle and bring to the boil.

Set up your slow cooker. Put in the chicken, then the onion, fennel and garlic. In a jug, mix the harissa, wine, tomatoes, casserole mix and 300ml just-boiled water; season, then pour over. Add the bay leaf, if using, cover and cook for 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low, adding the olives for the final 30 minutes. The chicken should be cooked through with juices that run clear and no pink meat. If not, cook for longer.

Turn on the reduction button (if your slow cooker has one), open the lid and reduce on high for a further 30-40 minutes; season. If your cooker doesn’t have this function, reduce the sauce in a pan on the hob instead.

About 10 minutes before serving, bring the milk to a simmer in a pan. Whisk in the polenta until thickened (about 5 minutes). Add the butter and cheese; season. Lift the chicken from the slow cooker onto a board. Using a sharp knife, remove the legs, then thickly slice the breast. Arrange on a platter with the veg, olives and cooking juices. Scatter over the parsley and serve with the polenta.