Yesterday I made a chicken and mushroom stew that is definitely a keeper. It was based on a Bon Appetit recipe I found on Flipboard. I didn’t take a picture of the stew I made (what was I thinking?) but here is the Bon Appetit picture:
bacon (I didn’t have bacon so I used a fresh mild Italian sausage, squeezed out of its casing and crumbled)
chicken legs (I used whole legs with back attached because that was what I could get at my favourite butcher)
flour for dredging, and s&p
onion
garlic
dried porcini mushrooms (the recipe called for fresh but I didn’t have any)
white wine
olive oil
fresh thyme
bay leaves
chicken stock
Sauté the bacon (or sausage) until browned, remove from pan; dredge the chicken in flour, salt and pepper (and perhaps some dried herbs), then brown, skin-side down in the bacon fat (add some olive oil if necessary) until really brown – about 15 minutes – don’t move them! Remove the chicken, and add the mushrooms to brown (because I used dried mushrooms, I rehydrated them by simmering in water for about 15 minutes first – keep the water!); remove the mushrooms and add the onion, chopped, and after about five minutes, the garlic. Sauté till soft and translucent. Add some wine, bring to a boil to reduce, then add everything back in, add the stock, and the mushroom water, bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and let cook until the chicken is falling off the bone – about 2-2.5 hours. The BA recipe, using fresh mushrooms, doesn’t add them back in until about half an our before it is done, but because I was using dried, and was lazy, I added them with everything else. This can all be made up to three days ahead.
I didn’t make the dumplings, which should be made just prior to serving. Instead, I made Basmati rice and served the stew in a bowl over the rice. Delicious.
