Impromptu Chicken Stew

This past Friday, CW and I found ourselves with one of those afternoons where we had no idea when we would eat, nor what we would eat.  All I did know was that CW was working late and did not want to go out.  I poked around the kitchen and found a bag of carrots, some old (almost dead) celery, and the usual canned stuff in the pantry (beans, pasta, soups, etc.).  Realizing that the carrots and celery were not long for this world, I decided to make something with a classic mirepoix - all I would need was an onion, a protein, and seasoning.

Mirepoix Vegetables

Mirepoix is a French term, and refers to the combination of carrots, celery and onion, sauteed to create a flavor base for sauteeing, braising, or roasting, a protein.  The first thing that came to mind thinking of this French combo was coq au vin - or chicken with wine.  Normally, this can be a heavy dish, with lots of butter, red wine, bacon, and potatoes.  CW does not dine on swine, so I knew bacon would be omitted.  Also, we don't like too much cream or butter, so my plan was more of a broth-based chicken braise or stew.  So off to the store I went, where I bought a half-chicken, some potatoes, and some white mushrooms (to add a little more bulk and earthiness to the dish).

Searing Chicken Pieces

The first thing I needed to do was cut up my chicken and sear it off in my Dutch oven. By searing the chicken prior to adding my aromatic veggies, I can ensure to have that good skin/fat chicken flavor as part of the dish base.  After cleaning and drying the chicken, I dredged it in some flour mixed with dried sage, chili powder, and kosher salt, and gave it a sear in some canola oil.

Seared Chicken

While the chicken was searing away I prepped the carrots, onions, and celery for the mirepoix.  I gave them all a fine chop and then finished searing the chicken until browned all around, but not cooked through (they finish cooking with the veggies and broth over a low simmer later).  Once seared, the chicken was removed and set aside.

Sautee the Veggies and Potatoes

Next step was to put my aromatic vegetables and potatoes in the pan that the chicken had been seared in.  It is important to use the same pot, so that all that fat and flavor from the chicken is not thrown away, but instead becomes part of the cooking liquid.  To the above I added a few cloves of minced garlic, dried thyme and tarragon, and two bay leaves.

All together simmering

Once the veggies and potatoes had been sauteed several minutes, I deglazed the pan with some white wine, stirred a couple more minutes and then added the chicken pieces back in and covered them with some low-sodium chicken stock and the sliced mushrooms.  This mixture was brought to a gentle boil, the heat was lowered, and the Dutch oven covered and allowed to simmer for 40 minutes or so.  Keeping the pot covered prevents steam and moisture from escaping the pot, thus keeping in flavor and preventing the chicken from drying out - the latter goal is also helped by cooking at a low simmer, which prevents the meat from overcooking and getting tough. 

Plated Chicken Stew

When the potatoes and carrots are fork-tender, the heat can be put down to a minimum, and the dish can sit there staying warm until your guest (in this case the hard-working CW) is ready to dine!  This makes a stew or braise a great dish for parties or other events where the cook may want to be socializing and doing other things prior to serving the meal.  Another benefit of slow, low heat cooking, is that the duration of the process gives ample time for all the various flavors to meld and makes for a very tasty meal!  It is likely that you may have leftover broth and veggies after all the chicken has been eaten with a meal like this.  Don't fret, this can be used as a tasty sauce for some rice, pasta, or potatoes on another night!


Now, a hearty meal like this would not have been complete without a good beverage to go with it.  I enjoyed a Stone Belgian style IPA that I had been saving to drink with a meal worthy of such a brew.  It was a match made to be - in the messy, chaotic kitchen of the impeccable palate.