Old-Fashioned Chicken Stew

Old-Fashioned Chicken Stew

INGREDIENTS

• 5 strips of bacon, chopped
• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs; cut into 1 ½ pieces
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, chopped (or 1 ½ cups)
• 2 carrots, chopped (or 1 1 /2 cups)
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon dried sage
• 1 teaspoon dried mustard
• 1 tablespoon white miso paste
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1.5 pounds small red new potatoes, halved
• 3 cups chicken broth (or enough to cover potatoes)
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

INSTRUCTIONS 

1. Cook bacon in a 5-quart Dutch oven, over medium-low heat, until bacon browns. Transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined small bowl. Turn heat to medium-high.
2. In small batches, and without crowding the pan, sear chicken thighs in the bacon fat. If more fat is needed, add olive or canola oil to the pan. Place seared chicken in a medium bowl. (Don’t worry if it is not cooked through).
3. Reduce heat to medium and add butter, onion, celery, and carrots—season with salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, and sage. Cook until vegetables have softened (about 6-8 minutes).
4. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add flour to coat vegetables and cook for one minute more.
5. Deglaze the pan with wine scraping the bottom of the pan as you pour, and cook for 1 min. Stir in dried mustard, miso paste, and chicken broth.
6. Add the chicken, with its juices, to pot along with the potatoes and bay leaves. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer.
7. Cover and cook on medium to medium-low heat. Cook until potatoes are softened and chicken is cooked through 15-20 mins.
8. Uncover and simmer another 5-10 min until thickened. Feel free to add extra broth if you need to thin out the stew to the desired consistency.
9. Stir in cream, bacon (reserve a few for topping), and parsley, and cook another 1 min or until warmed through. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.
10. Ladle into bowl and serve with bacon and more fresh herbs.

Tip: If you want a thicker stew, remove a cup of the broth from the pan and whisk with a tablespoon of flour. Add slurry back to the pan.