Chicken Stew
The key to this stew’s rich flavor is using bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs – searing them in bacon fat creates a deeply savory base, and the bones release collagen during simmering, which naturally thickens the gravy.
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon, chopped
- ~4 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- ~2 1/4 cups chunked carrots
- ~3 cups chopped yellow onion
- ~1 1/2 cups sliced celery
- 3 tsp minced garlic
- 1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
- 6 cups chicken broth, divided
- 2 cups dry white wine, divided
- 3 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3 bay leaves
- 4 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp dried thyme
- 3 tsp dried sage
- 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper
- ~2 1/2 cups baby gold potatoes, quartered
- ~3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, optional
Sear the Bacon and Chicken
In a large Dutch oven, cook the chopped bacon over medium heat until it has browned and the fat has rendered. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the fat in the pot.
Pat the chicken thighs dry and season them with salt and pepper. Increase the heat to high and sear the chicken in the bacon fat, skin-side down, for ~3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove the chicken to a bowl, cover with foil, and set aside.
Sauté the Vegetables and Reduce the Liquid
Reduce the heat to medium-high. Add the carrots, celery, and onion to the pot and cook for ~3 minutes, until they begin to soften. Stir in the tomato paste and minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
Increase the heat to high and add 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth and 1 1/2 cups of wine to the pot, along with the Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves. Bring to a rapid simmer and cook until the liquid has reduced to about 1/2 cup.
Build the Gravy and Simmer the Stew
Add the butter to the pot and stir until melted. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir for ~1 minute until a smooth paste forms.
Gradually whisk in the remaining 4 1/2 cups of chicken broth, thyme, sage, and paprika. Add the potatoes and return the seared chicken to the pot. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, and cook for ~20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Finish the Stew
Remove the chicken from the pot and set it on a cutting board to cool slightly. Continue to simmer the stew on low until the potatoes are tender.
Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin and bones, then shred or chop the meat. Return the chicken to the pot along with the remaining 1/2 cup of wine and the cooked bacon. Stir everything together, taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed before serving with fresh parsley.
Chicken Stew
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon chopped
- ~4 lbs bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- ~2 1/4 cups chunked carrots
- ~3 cups chopped yellow onion
- ~1 1/2 cups sliced celery
- 3 tsp minced garlic
- 1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
- 6 cups chicken broth divided
- 2 cups dry white wine divided
- 3 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3 bay leaves
- 4 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp dried thyme
- 3 tsp dried sage
- 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper
- ~2 1/2 cups baby gold potatoes quartered
- ~3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley optional
Method
- Cook bacon in Dutch oven until crispy; remove and reserve fat.
- Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper; sear in bacon fat 3-4 minutes per side until golden. Remove and set aside.
- Cook carrots, celery, onion in same pot 3 minutes until softened.
- Add tomato paste and garlic, cook 30 seconds.
- Add 1 1/2 cups each broth and wine, Worcestershire, bay leaves. Simmer until reduced to 1/2 cup.
- Melt butter, stir in flour to make paste.
- Gradually whisk in remaining broth, thyme, sage, paprika.
- Add potatoes and chicken. Simmer 20 minutes until chicken cooked.
- Remove chicken; continue simmering until potatoes tender.
- Shred chicken, discarding skin and bones.
- Return chicken to pot with remaining wine and bacon.
- Adjust seasoning and garnish with parsley.
