Chicken stew with winter vegetables
Jan. 1st, 2021 11:59 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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subtlehouseTonight we made chicken stew for dinner. When Josh suggested it, I wasn't terribly enthused, because I think of chicken as bland-ish and stew as bland-ish and had no sense-memory of flavors attached to the concept of "chicken stew". But now I do! It tasted like chicken pot pie without the pie, and it was delicious.
The recipe is straight from Cook's Illustrated as usual. We didn't cut up the chicken thighs before stewing them; why bother? Once the stew was done, Josh encouraged them to finish falling apart into shreds. Neither of our local grocery stores had celery root, so we substituted turnip. The thighs came in packages of eight, so that's what we put in, and it did not feel insufficiently chickeny even though the recipe recommends using twelve. We cooked it on the stove for longer than suggested, as a loaf of bread was occupying the oven. (Homemade bread is an excellent accompaniment to this stew, incidentally.) The recipe as given below has half as much garlic (for my sake) and onion (for Chris's) as the original recipe; adjust as you see fit.
Ingredients:
* 3 pounds chicken thighs (about 8 thighs, boneless or bone-in)
* Salt and ground black pepper
* 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 medium onion, minced
* 2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
* 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 teaspoon dried
* 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup dry white wine
* 4 cups (one 32-oz box) low-sodium chicken broth
* 8 ounces red potatoes (about 2 medium), scrubbed and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
* 8 ounces celery root, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
* 3 parsnips, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
* 3 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
* 2 bay leaves
* 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
Instructions (Instant Pot)
1. Start the Instant Pot heating on Saute - High. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in the Instant Pot until just smoking. Add half of the chicken and brown lightly, 5 minutes per side; transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with 1 tablespoon more oil and the remaining chicken; transfer to the bowl.
3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot and reduce heat to Saute - Medium. Add the onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the wine, scraping up any browned bits.
4. Gradually whisk in the broth, smoothing out any lumps. Stir in the potatoes, celery root, parsnips, carrots, bay leaves, and browned chicken with any accumulated juice. Cover, seal, and set to Pressure Cook - High for 25 minutes.
5. When timer goes off, release pressure naturally for 10 minutes and then quick-release. Remove the bay leaves. Stir until the chicken finishes falling apart into shreds. Stir in the parsley, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve. (The stew can be cooled and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat gently, adding water as needed to loosen its consistency, before serving.)
Instructions (Dutch oven)
1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 300 degrees. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of the chicken and brown lightly, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with 1 tablespoon more oil and the remaining chicken; transfer to the bowl.
3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the wine, scraping up any browned bits.
4. Gradually whisk in the broth, smoothing out any lumps. Stir in the potatoes, celery root, parsnips, carrots, bay leaves, and browned chicken with any accumulated juice. Top up with more broth or water if necessary--just enough to cover the vegetables--and bring to a simmer. Cover, transfer the pot to the oven, and cook until the chicken is very tender, 50 to 60 minutes.
5. Remove the pot from the oven and remove the bay leaves. Remove and shred the chicken. Stir in the parsley, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve. (The stew can be cooled and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat gently, adding water as needed to loosen its consistency, before serving.)
Their estimate is that this recipe makes six to eight servings; we added just a bit of rice to stretch it to eight. It is very, very filling even in small quantities. We will definitely be making it again.
The recipe is straight from Cook's Illustrated as usual. We didn't cut up the chicken thighs before stewing them; why bother? Once the stew was done, Josh encouraged them to finish falling apart into shreds. Neither of our local grocery stores had celery root, so we substituted turnip. The thighs came in packages of eight, so that's what we put in, and it did not feel insufficiently chickeny even though the recipe recommends using twelve. We cooked it on the stove for longer than suggested, as a loaf of bread was occupying the oven. (Homemade bread is an excellent accompaniment to this stew, incidentally.) The recipe as given below has half as much garlic (for my sake) and onion (for Chris's) as the original recipe; adjust as you see fit.
Ingredients:
* 3 pounds chicken thighs (about 8 thighs, boneless or bone-in)
* Salt and ground black pepper
* 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 medium onion, minced
* 2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
* 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 teaspoon dried
* 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup dry white wine
* 4 cups (one 32-oz box) low-sodium chicken broth
* 8 ounces red potatoes (about 2 medium), scrubbed and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
* 8 ounces celery root, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
* 3 parsnips, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
* 3 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
* 2 bay leaves
* 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
Instructions (Instant Pot)
1. Start the Instant Pot heating on Saute - High. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in the Instant Pot until just smoking. Add half of the chicken and brown lightly, 5 minutes per side; transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with 1 tablespoon more oil and the remaining chicken; transfer to the bowl.
3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot and reduce heat to Saute - Medium. Add the onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the wine, scraping up any browned bits.
4. Gradually whisk in the broth, smoothing out any lumps. Stir in the potatoes, celery root, parsnips, carrots, bay leaves, and browned chicken with any accumulated juice. Cover, seal, and set to Pressure Cook - High for 25 minutes.
5. When timer goes off, release pressure naturally for 10 minutes and then quick-release. Remove the bay leaves. Stir until the chicken finishes falling apart into shreds. Stir in the parsley, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve. (The stew can be cooled and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat gently, adding water as needed to loosen its consistency, before serving.)
Instructions (Dutch oven)
1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 300 degrees. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of the chicken and brown lightly, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with 1 tablespoon more oil and the remaining chicken; transfer to the bowl.
3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the wine, scraping up any browned bits.
4. Gradually whisk in the broth, smoothing out any lumps. Stir in the potatoes, celery root, parsnips, carrots, bay leaves, and browned chicken with any accumulated juice. Top up with more broth or water if necessary--just enough to cover the vegetables--and bring to a simmer. Cover, transfer the pot to the oven, and cook until the chicken is very tender, 50 to 60 minutes.
5. Remove the pot from the oven and remove the bay leaves. Remove and shred the chicken. Stir in the parsley, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve. (The stew can be cooled and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat gently, adding water as needed to loosen its consistency, before serving.)
Their estimate is that this recipe makes six to eight servings; we added just a bit of rice to stretch it to eight. It is very, very filling even in small quantities. We will definitely be making it again.
