Cassoulet (kind of)

Not what a purist would call a cassoulet, but this is a rich and tasty one pot casserole perfect for cold winter evenings. Serve with chunks of bread, and maybe some steamed green beans. 

500g chicken thighs
2 large leeks

1 large courgette 
1 large red or yellow pepper
4 cloves garlic
shake of dried mixed herbs
2 or 3 fresh thyme sprigs
2 fresh bay leaves
about 500ml chicken stock
Good dash or two of white wine
3 or 4 sundried tomatoes (in oil) chopped

A few chunks of cooked antipasto peppers (in oil)
250g cooking chorizo
150 g cooking bacon 
500g small potatoes, skin left on, halved if necessary to make chunks a couple of centimetres across
pepper

Optional chunks of sweet potato and carrot, depending on what is lurking in the cupboard.
dash of smoked paprika
2 cans cooked butter beans or other cooked beans drained.

1. Cut most of the skin off the chicken thighs and discard (I tried leaving it on and frying it, but it didn't really work - I had to pour off a lot of fat and the skin was quite unappetizing at the end of the cooking time).
   
2. Wash and slice the leeks into 1cm discs.
3. Peel and chop the garlic finely
4. Wash and chop the red pepper and courgette into chunks.
5. Cut the chorizo into chunks.
6. Brown the chicken thighs in some olive oil (use the oil from the jars of sundried tomatoes or peppers) in a deep oven proof dish/Dutch oven. Transfer to a plate. You can also use boned thighs, chopped into large pieces and browned. In that case you don't need to remove them from the pan, just toss everything together.
7. Toss the bacon, peppers and leeks in the pan used for the chicken, then add the mixed herbs and garlic and fry gently for about 3 minutes.
8. Put back the chicken thighs, then add all the other ingredients except the butter beans. Season with pepper (it will probably be salty enough from the chorizo and bacon).
9. Give it a good stir and bring to the boil, then put the lid on and transfer to the oven on about 160 C for a couple of hours or so, stirring occasionally and stirring in the butter beans about half an hour before serving.