Chicken Stew

Cooking for Families

This chicken stew made with chicken drumsticks and thighs is sure to be a favorite of yours in the colder months. I made this recipe my Mom Boss gave to me to make for their family in her Dutch oven. I recommend adding any other extra vegetables you have in the fridge to the dish as well.

You Will Need:

1 tbsp olive oil
3 lb bone in, skin on chicken thighs and drumsticks (6 to 8 pieces)
Salt and pepper
2 onions, halved and cut into wedges
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 large carrots, cut into chunks
4 celery stalks, cut into 4 inch chunks
1/2 cup white wine or water
3 tbsp flour
3 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp Worscestershire sauce
3 sprigs thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 lb baby potatoes, halved (quarter large ones)

What to Do:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Heat oil in a large pot over high heat. Brown chicken on both sides until light golden, sprinkling with salt and pepper. Remove from pot. (Do in 2 batches if pot not big enough).
3. If there’s too much oil in the pot, discard some. Add onion and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes until onion is translucent.
4. Add carrots and celery, cook for 1 minute.

5. Add wine or water. Stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to dissolve the brown bits into the liquid. Cook for 1 minute until liquid is mostly gone.

6. Sprinkle flour across surface, stir.

7. Add broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and bay leaves. Stir to dissolve tomato paste.

8. Place chicken on top, keeping the skin above the liquid level as much as you can.

9. Bring to simmer then cover. Bake for 45 minutes.

10. Remove from oven, remove lid. Add potatoes, pushing them into the liquid and rearranging chicken so they sit on top (for lovely crispy skin).

11. Return to oven without the lid for a further 40 minutes until the chicken skin is deep golden and super crispy, the potatoes are soft and the sauce is thickened.