Fantastic Chicken Stew

In honour of the rare mid-April snowfall we experienced in Vancouver today, I’m posting this fabulous chicken stew recipe. It’s not too hard to make, and it’s full of flavour.  I’ve adapted a recipe for veal stew from a Western Living cookbook to make this.  Oh, and it’s so tasty if you use homemade stock – it’s pretty much vital to the flavour, so plan ahead and make some stock !

What you need:

2 tablespoons olive oil

4-6 chicken thighs, bone-in & skin removed

1 onion, chopped roughly

a cup or two of button mushrooms, halved

4 cloves garlic, finely diced

3 cups chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped finely

1 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons  flour

5-6 small potatoes, chopped in half

4-5 carrots, cut into rounds

1 medium-sized zucchini, cut into rounds

salt and pepper to taste

What you do:

1. Heat a large pot to medium-high heat and add one tablespoon of olive oil, then add the onions. After about five minutes add the mushrooms.  Saute until browned, then remove from the pot.

2. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pot, then add the chicken and cook until browned on each side.  Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes. Add the chicken stock and cook, covered, for about 45 minutes.

3. Combine the wine and flour, then stir it into the pot. Add the potatoes, carrots, and sautéed mushrooms and onions. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and cook for 20 minutes.

4. Add the zucchini and cook for about 15 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

I like to eat this all on its own, but it would be great served with a crusty bread.

Roast potatoes in Duck Fat

I try to make my recipes accessible, using ingredients that people are likely to have on hand.  For this one, though, you’d need to have some duck fat on hand.  Sure you can use a substitution, but then you can’ t make the best roast potatoes you’ve ever had!

What you need:

4 baking potatoes

2 tablespoons duck fat

salt and pepper

fresh rosemary

What you do:

1.  Scrub the potatoes and cut into rounds about 1.5 cm thick and place in a bowl.

2.  Heat up the duck fat and coat the potatoes with it.  Place them on a baking sheet, then sprinkle generously with salt.  Chop a little rosemary up and sprinkle it on top.

3.  Bake for about an hour at 300F.  After about the first 25 minutes flip them over and continue baking.

4.  When they are very brown on both sides they are ready, just crack some pepper on top and you’re set to have the best potatoes EVER!