It’s been quite chilly here recently, making it the perfect time for a stew! I’ve already made this dish twice in the last few weeks, and thought I’d share the recipe in case anyone is interested. If you have your own favorite stew recipe, please share in the comments!
Adie’s Chicken Stew
1 lb. chicken thighs
14 oz. of chicken or vegetable broth (homemade or low-sodium)
1/2 cup water
4 medium-sized potatoes chopped
1 cup carrot chopped (about 1 large carrot)
1 cup celery chopped(about 2 stalks)
1 small yellow onion diced
2 garlic cloves minced
2 tbsp. olive oil
2-3 tbsp. flour (optional)
1 tbsp. of dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup pale ale or white wine (optional)
Salt, pepper to taste
Rinse chicken in cold water and leave to dry. Set the stove to medium heat and add olive oil to a 5 1/2 quart pot, letting it warm for roughly half a minute. Add onions, letting them sweat until translucent, 4-5 minutes. Add carrot and celery, stirring occasionally. If you like, slowly add a few splashes of white wine or your favorite ale and allow to reduce while the vegetables begin to soften.
Add chicken to the pot, cooking both sides lightly and seasoning with salt and pepper. Then add garlic but don’t let it brown. Add the broth, water, potatoes, thyme, bay leaf and give it a good stir before turning the heat up to medium high. Let the liquid come to a mild boil before setting the temperature to low. Put the lid on the pot and allow to simmer for 40-50 minutes.
I have two options for thickening stews. One is flour based and the other uses the potatoes from the stew. The first option can be done by making a roux in advance, but there is a simpler way. Stirring a few tablespoons of flour in a small amount of cold water will also work. Just make sure no lumps remain in water when you add it to the stew—which is why you want to use cold water. If you don’t like the idea of adding flour to your stew, remove roughly ½-1 cup of your potatoes and mash them in a bowl with a fork, along with a little of the broth. Once the potatoes are broken up, return to the broth. You can do this more than once, depending on how thick you would like your stew to be.
Allow the stew to continue simmering for another 35-45 minutes, checking the tenderness of the chicken from time-to-time, stirring the stew as you go. Also, give the broth a taste once the chicken is fully cooked and see if it needs more seasoning (salt and pepper). Once the chick breaks apart easily and your vegetables are soft, you know your stew is done. Take out the bay leaf and enjoy!
