Rosemary Chicken And Potato Stew Recipe

Chillier weather marks the start of stew season for many, including recipe developer A.J. Forget. As he puts it, "On a cool autumn night, nothing hits the spot like a nice bowl of stew." This particular recipe, which he dubs "comfort food at its finest," consists of chicken and potatoes seasoned with rosemary, plus a touch of lemon juice and zest. The end result is what Forget dubs "a perfectly balanced dish for the changing seasons."

While Forget likes to use chicken thighs in this dish, you may use breasts if you prefer, although in this case, he suggests adding another tablespoon or two of olive oil since light meat is less fatty than dark. He does advise keeping the red potatoes instead of switching them out for russets, though, since they are one of the best types of potatoes for boiling. As Forget explains, "Red potatoes are less starchy than russets with a finer grain, which means they hold their shape well and have a wonderful, creamy texture."

In addition to chicken thighs and red potatoes, you're also going to need a yellow onion, garlic, and chard to make this stew, plus olive oil for cooking, flour for thickening, and chicken broth to add the necessary liquid. You'll be seasoning the stew with rosemary, lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, and salt, plus some white wine. If you prefer not to cook with alcohol, Forget advises, "Simply replace the cup of wine with a cup of chicken broth, and add in a tablespoon of red wine vinegar or your vinegar of choice for a similar acidity."

Pour the oil into your go-to stew pot (which should be something sizable and fairly heavy, such as a Dutch oven), then heat it up over a burner set to medium-high. Once the pot is hot, add the chicken and cook it for about 5 minutes. At this point, it should have browned a bit and rendered out some of its own fat, adding to the oil already in the pot.

Take the chicken out of the pan and replace it with the garlic and onions. Fry these in the fat for about 2 minutes, then stir in the flour. Cook this mixture for 3 minutes or until it begins to brown and stick to the bottom. "While it can be intimidating to allow your chicken, vegetables, and flour to stick to the bottom and brown," says Forget, "it is exactly this caramelized fond that gives the stew its deep flavors."

Don't worry, though, the sticky stuff won't be there long enough to burn, since at this point you'll pour in the wine. Use this liquid to deglaze the pan by scraping all the browned bits up off the bottom.

Pour the broth into the pot, then add the potatoes and rosemary. Once the broth begins to boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and put a lid (or piece of foil) over the pot. Cook the potatoes for about 8 minutes until you can stick a fork in them.

Return the chicken to the pot, along with any juices that may have leaked out while it was cooling. Stir the chard into the stew as well, then wait for the broth to start simmering. (If it takes too long, you can turn up the heat, then turn it back down again once the bubbling begins.) Once it's simmering, put the lid back on the pot and cook everything for 10 more minutes.

When the stew is done cooking, turn off the heat and remove the rosemary. Add the lemon juice and zest, sugar, and as much salt as you like. It's ready to eat now and could be considered a one-pot meal since it contains meat, starch, and vegetables. If you like, though, you could add a side salad or, as Forget suggests, some "nice, crusty bread and the remaining white wine."

If you won't be eating all 6 servings of stew in a single sitting, Forget advises allowing it to cool in the pot, then portioning it out into airtight containers to put in the refrigerator (where it will last for 4 days) or the freezer (where it will last until the power goes out).