Chicken Stew

Hot soup, stew and chowder season is coming to an end, but I think you’ll have time to make one more satisfying stew before spring is here. I make a lot of chicken soup, but not so much stew. I almost always have chicken stock in the freezer, which makes putting soup together quick and easy.

This is another recipe I found online and tweaked it up just a bit. It’s thick, rich, warm and satisfying. The sweet potatoes and red bell pepper give it a gorgeous flavor.

If you don’t have chicken stock already made, start by making a stock. You can always use stock from the store, but homemade is much tastier and really easy to make. I usually make stock using a whole chicken carcass after it is roasted. Before making the stock, pull the meat off the carcass and set aside for the stew.

By using the whole bird you get a good combination of white and dark meat.

If you have any raw chicken bones add them to your soup pot along with the bones of the cooked chicken. For extra richness you may also add a couple of uncooked chicken thighs, but by just using the cooked carcass alone you will notice a huge difference in the depth of flavor of your stock compared to store-bought.

Break apart the carcass. Cover the bones with water. Add 2 tsp. salt, freshly ground black pepper, a bay leaf, sprig of fresh thyme, rosemary, a few sprigs of parsley, chopped onion, garlic, carrots and celery. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for a couple of hours. Check for seasoning (especially salt). Let cool and strain.

ON TO THE STEW…

The difference between a soup and stew is the thickness, which is achieved by adding a roux.  In French roux means Red so I am not sure how this sauce got its name. To make a roux simply add equal parts fat and flour to a heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat. As the butter and flour come together, reduce the heat slightly.

I love the velvety texture of a roux.

When the fat coats the starch in the flour it helps the sauce keep from forming lumps when you add liquid; in this case heavy cream.

Roux is used in 3 of the 5 Mother sauces in classical French cooking. And there are 4 types of roux: white roux, blonde roux, brown, and dark brown roux. For this recipe we’re using a white roux. There is no trick to making a good roux, simply stir, stir, stir the fat (I used butter for this stew) and flour. Once that has become a thick paste, slowly add the heavy cream until you have a good consistency. If it is too thick add a little more cream or a dash of white wine. Taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper as necessary. Set aside until ready to add to the stew.

I like all the different veg and fresh herbs in this Chicken Stew recipe. Prepare the onion, garlic, carrots, both white and sweet potatoes by peeling and dicing. Dice the celery and red pepper. Set aside a cup of frozen peas.

In a heavy bottomed skillet, melt 1 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Add 1 tsp. salt and freshly ground black pepper. Over medium heat cook onion, carrot, red pepper and celery for a few minutes until the onion is slightly softened. Add the potatoes and cook for another couple of minutes. Add the garlic and fresh herbs. Pour in 1/4 cup dry white wine to deglaze the pan. Finally, add 4 cups chicken stock and the chicken. Bring back to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat. Gently stir in the roux completely dissolving into the soup and simmer for about 45 minutes. After 30 minutes of simmering add the frozen peas.

That’s it! Soups and stews are so nutritious and comforting. Enjoy!

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Chicken Stew

Filled with lots of veggies and fresh herbs this Chicken Stew is rich and very satisfying.

Ingredients

• 1 Whole Chicken, roasted, meat pulled off the carcass. About 1 1/2 lbs. diced Alternatively, you could use 4 chicken thighs and 2 large chicken breasts; cooked and shredded. Or, buy a rotisserie chicken and take the meat off the bone.
• 1 Tbsp. Butter, more for the roux
• 1 Tbsp. Olive oil More for browning if you are using raw chicken pieces.
• 2 Large Carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 Stalks Celery, diced
• 1 Small Onion, peeled and diced
• 2 Cloves Garlic, peeled and diced
• 1 1/2 Cups White potatoes, peeled and diced I used Yukon Golds.
• 1 1/2 Cups Sweet Potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1/2 Red bell pepper, diced
• 4 Cups Chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1/4 Cup White wine, dry
• 2 Sprigs Fresh thyme
• 2 Sprigs Fresh rosemary
• 1/4 tsp. Sage, dried
• Salt/Pepper to taste
• 1 Cup Peas, frozen

For the Roux

• 5 Tbsp. Butter
• 5 Tbsp. Flour
• 1/2-3/4 Cup Heavy cream
• Salt/Pepper to taste

Instructions

Start by making the Roux

• Melt butter in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat.
• Stir in the flour a little at a time stirring constantly until all of the flour is incorporated into the butter; about 2 minutes.
• Slowly add the cold heavy cream in a stream, stirring constantly. If the sauce is too thick, add a bit more cream or a splash of white wine.
• Season with salt and pepper. Set aside until ready to add to the stew.

To assemble the Stew

• If you are using raw chicken breasts/thighs, start by browning the chicken in a large pot or Dutch oven in 1 Tbsp. olive oil. It doesn't have to be cooked completely through as it will continue cooking when you add to the stew.
• If you are using the cooked chicken, pull the meat off the bones, shred, and set aside.
• In the same pot you browned the chicken add 1 more Tbsp. olive oil, salt, pepper and saute the onion, carrot and celery for 3 minutes until the onion starts to get soft.
• Stir in the white and sweet potatoes and red pepper and cook for 2 more minutes.
• Add the garlic and deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup dry white wine.
• Next, add 1 quart chicken broth and the herbs. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and add the cooked chicken and roux. Stir well to completely incorporate the roux.
• Cover and simmer for about 45 minutes. After 30 minutes add the frozen peas.
• If you want to make the stew even thicker, shake vigorously 2 Tbsp. flour and 1/2 cup chicken broth in a tightly sealed jar until all lumps are dissolved. Add a little at a time until the stew is as thick as you'd like.