I don’t make this nearly enough, as David so gently reminded me by proclaiming after his first bite “make this more!” He’s right though, I really need to add it to the regular rotation, as this is probably one of my top 10 favorite meals. The best kind of comfort food, it’s rich, hearty, and warming, yet somehow not too heavy. It feels fancy enough to serve for company, which may just be due to the generous proportion of red wine, and gives you about an hour of hands-off time while it finishes in the oven, perfect for prepping any salads, appetizers, or just mingling over cocktails. Additionally, about 20 minutes into prep your house will start to smell AMAZING, leaving any guests salivating in anticipation.

You don’t need a special occasion as an excuse though. I know most of us aren’t exactly throwing dinner parties on the regular these days, but that doesn’t mean you should miss out on this deliciousness. The recipe is accessible enough to enjoy on any ordinary weekend. I say weekend because it does take some time, which is really probably the only reason I actually don’t think to make this more often. Other than the time investment, the preparation is pretty straightforward (the most complicated part is cutting up the veg) and uses several ingredients you may already have on hand.

Now for a few notes on the cooking/prep process:

1. I personally find it too irritating to remove thyme leaves from their branches and chop them up, but this does mean I am left to fish out the straggling branches from the stew once it has cooked. I call for “a handful” of thyme springs. If stripping and chopping the leaves doesn’t annoy you too much, then by all means go that route instead. You’ll want about 2 tbsp of leaves.
2. My pan was small enough to require browning the chicken in 2 batches, which therefore gave me enough time to chop up my veggies in the interim. If you can fit all your chicken in one batch, then you will probably want to do some chopping before you start.
3. For the wine, you want something hearty, and not too fruity. I used a cabernet sauvignon. No need to splurge, as much of the flavor will cook out. Choose something inexpensive enough that you don’t mind pouring a significant portion of it in the stew, but still good enough that you can enjoy sipping the rest of the bottle alongside dinner (and/or while you cook, for that matter).

Chicken and Root Vegetable Stew

Recipe by Too Many SpoonsCourse: DinnerCuisine: Stew

Servings

4

servings

Cost

24

$

Total time

1

hour 

40

minutes

This is a satisfying meal as is, but can also be served over egg noodles or rice if you want a little more. If you do this, you can probably stretch to 6 servings. Either way, I like to pull the chicken off the bones before serving, to make it easier to eat.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, cut up, or 3-4 lbs bone-in skin-on chicken pieces of your choice

• 1/2 cup flour

• 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp salt, divided

• 1/4 tsp + 1/2 tsp pepper, divided

• 2 tbsp + 2 tbsp olive oil, divided

• 1 onion, thinly sliced

• 1 leek, thinly sliced

• 2 whole cloves garlic plus 2 cloves crushed
  

• 2 tbsp chopped rosemary

• 1 handful thyme sprigs-about 8-10

• 4 carrots, cut into 1″ pieces

• 2 parsnips, cut into 1″ pieces

• 1 large yellow potato, cut into 1″ pieces

• 1 1/2 cups red wine

• 2 cups chicken broth, homemade if you have it

• 1 1/2 cups water

• 1 bay leaf

• parsley, to finish

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350, and heat 2 tbsp oil in a large oven-proof pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
• Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a low bowl, then dredge the chicken in the mixture, coating well on all sides, then tapping off any excess. Keep any remaining flour aside for later. Starting skin-side down, add the chicken to the pan, cook until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes, then flip to the other side and repeat. Work in batches if needed, and remove the chicken pieces to a plate when you are done.
• If you have a lot of remaining oil, wipe out the bottom of the pan. It’s ok to leave some of the crispy bits from the chicken though. Add the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, let it get hot, then add the onion, leek, garlic, and half the thyme and rosemary. Cook for 5 minutes, until just starting to soften and color at the edges.
• Add the carrots, parsnips, and potato, stir gently, and cook for 3 minutes. Sprinkle 2 tbsp of the reserved flour over top, and stir to coat.
• Pour in the wine, raise the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 3 minutes, until slightly reduced.
• Add the broth and water, and boil 2 more minutes.
• Return the chicken back to the pot, nestling it between the vegetables. Add the remaining thyme and rosemary, the bay leaf, the remaining 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper, and half the parsley. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer 2 minutes.
• Cover the pot, place it in the oven, and cook for about an hour, until the chicken is very tender. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley before serving.

Recipe Notes

• Adapted from the “Chicken Stew with Winter Root Vegetables” from the Stonewall Kitchen Harvest cookbook.