Sunday, June 30, 2019

Chicken And Bean Stew

It is June Potluck week at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC). We get to cook from any of the featured chefs at IHCC, using any of their recipes. I've made Jacques Pepin's, Chicken and Bean Stew.

According to Jacques Pepin, this stew is satisfying, hearty, and inexpensive, ideal for a family meal. He's right, of course! 

The recipe uses meaty chicken bones and parts, but I've used two whole large pieces of chicken legs. As for the beans, I've used black-eyed beans since I have some frozen ones stashed in my freezer, and added them during the last 30 minutes of cooking. According to the recipe, whole carrots and celery stalk are simmered until the end of cooking time, after which, they are removed and chopped coarsely to be added back to the stew. I merely chopped the carrots and celery before cooking, so i don't have to chop them up later. 



The stew was delicious. Very tasty and flavourful. We've enjoyed bowls of it with my homemade Ciabatta bread.


Chicken and Bean Stew
(Essential Pepin by Jacques Pepin)
4 pounds meaty chicken bones and parts (including backs and necks, if available gizzards and hearts)
1 pound (about 2-1/3 cups) navy beans, picked over and rinsed
2 medium onions (about 12 ounces0, each studded with 3 whole cloves
3 medium to large carrots, peeled
1 celery stalk
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
4 bay leaves
8 cups cold water
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped (2 teaspoons)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Put the bones in a large pot, add the beans, onions, carrots, celery, salt, thyme, bay leaves and water, bring to a boil; skim off foam that rises to the surface. Cover, reduce the heat, and boil very gently for 1-1/2 hours; stir every 15 to 20 minutes to prevent the beans from sticking to the bottom. Pour the mixture into a large roasting pan.
When the bean mixture is cold enough, remove the bones and vegetables from the beans and put the beans back into the pot.
When the bones are cool enough to handle, pick off the meat and discard any skin. (You should have at least  2 to 2-1/2 cups of meat). Remove the cloves from the onions and discard them. Coarsely chop the onions, carrots, celery, and gizzards and hearts, if you have them. Add to the pot, along with the meat, and mix with the beans.
Add the tomato, garlic, and parsley and bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat, simmer for 5 minutes, and serve.


3 comments:

  1. The stew looks very tasty and comforting!

    ReplyDelete
  2. What delicious stew!!
    And love your bread !

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow! This soup is stunning and full of flavorful goodies. I love how chunky and colorful it is. Makes it look really inviting. Plus, it does look perfect for dunking the bread in. You're making my mouth water over here :)

    ReplyDelete