Description
A hearty and flavorful chicken stew featuring tender browned chicken thighs and drumsticks simmered in a rich broth with aromatic vegetables, herbs, and baby potatoes, finished with a crispy golden skin. Perfect for a comforting meal served with warm crusty bread.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Chicken and Seasonings
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1.5 kg / 3 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks (6 to 8 pieces)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 2 onions, halved and cut into wedges
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 large carrots, cut thick end into 1.5 cm (3/5") pieces, thin end 2.5 cm (1") pieces
- 4 celery stalks, cut into 2 cm (4/5") chunks
- 600 g / 1.2 lb baby potatoes, halved (quarter large ones)
Liquids and Seasonings
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) white wine (or water)
- 3 tbsp (35 g) flour
- 3 cups (750 ml) low sodium chicken broth
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3 sprigs thyme, or 1 tsp dried thyme (or other herb)
- 2 bay leaves (dried or fresh)
Optional Serving
- Fresh thyme or parsley, chopped
- Warm crusty bread
Instructions
- Preheat and Brown Chicken: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof pot on high heat. Season the chicken thighs and drumsticks with salt and pepper, then brown them on both sides until lightly golden. Remove the browned chicken from the pot and set aside. If your pot isn’t big enough, brown the chicken in two batches.
- Sauté Onions and Garlic: If there’s excess oil in the pot, discard some to avoid greasiness. Add the onions and minced garlic to the pot and cook for about 2 minutes until the onions become translucent, releasing their sweetness.
- Add Carrots and Celery: Stir in the carrot pieces and celery chunks, cooking for an additional minute to begin softening the vegetables and building flavor.
- Deglaze with Wine: Pour in the white wine (or water). Stir thoroughly, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pot, which adds depth to the stew. Cook for about 1 minute until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Add Flour: Sprinkle the flour evenly across the surface of the vegetables and stir well to combine. This will help thicken the stew broth later.
- Add Broth and Seasonings: Pour in the chicken broth and add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme sprigs or dried thyme, and bay leaves. Stir thoroughly to dissolve the tomato paste and evenly distribute the seasonings.
- Combine Chicken and Simmer: Place the browned chicken pieces back on top of the vegetable and broth mixture, trying to keep the skin above the liquid to help it crisp later. Bring the stew to a gentle simmer, then cover the pot with a lid and transfer it to the preheated oven. Bake for 45 minutes.
- Add Potatoes and Roast Uncovered: Remove the lid and add the baby potatoes, pushing them slightly into the liquid. Rearrange the chicken pieces so the skin remains on top and exposed to heat. Return the pot to the oven, uncovered, and roast for a further 40 minutes. This step crisps the chicken skin to a deep golden color, softens the potatoes, and thickens the sauce.
- Finish and Serve: Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Serve the stew hot, optionally garnished with fresh thyme or parsley, and accompanied by warm crusty bread or garlic bread to soak up the delicious sauce.
Notes
- If you don’t have a large ovenproof pot, cook steps 1 through 7 entirely on the stove, then transfer everything to a baking pan for the oven steps.
- For lower fat, discard about 2 tablespoons of fat after browning the chicken; this can reduce calories to approximately 640 per serving with 27 g of fat.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 700
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 33 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 22 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 50 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg
