I've created this lighter chicken stew ready for the spring months, you know where the time of year when the weather isn't quite warm enough for bbq's but it's to warm for casserole and dumplings.
You are able to taste all the lovely veggies in this light stew, beautiful sweet carrot, woody mushrooms and thyme, smokey bacon and of course the melt in the mouth chicken thighs. Sometimes I don't even bother adding the cream in towards the end I just enjoy the flavour-packed stock. This delightful spring casserole works really well with my mini garlic roasties, baked lemon asparagus ... and if I'm feeling a bit naughty, my favourite, a golden Yorkshire pudding.
Prep time 20mins
Cooking time 2hrs
100g smoked bacon lardons
8-6 chicken thighs depending on appetite, I like to use skin on, bone-in thighs but you can go boneless if you prefer.
Salt and ground black pepper
Olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
4 Sprigs of fresh thyme, or 2tsp of dried
250ml white wine
400ml chicken stock
200g chantenay carrots, stalk end removed
150g button mushrooms, I like to use chestnut, cut in halves
3tbsp single cream
2tbsp chopped fresh parsley
You may need a mix of 1tbsp of cornflour with 1tbsp of cold water and pour it in to thicken, depending on what thickness you want your stew, I tend to add this in before the cream.
Preheat the oven to 160c
First heat a deep frying or sauté pan on a high heat and dry fry the bacon lardons, once browned remove and set aside.
Season the chicken thighs with a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper, be lighter with the salt because of the salt in the bacon and the stock.
In the same pan you fried the bacon in add a drizzle of olive oil and on a medium heat brown off the chicken. Place them in skin side down for 5mins at first then a 5 mins on the other side, and then quickly sealed around the sides if need be. Once browned but not completely cooked through remove and set aside.
Now again in the same pan add another drizzle of olive oil about 2tbsp and add the diced onion, keep the heat on medium and gently sweat the onions down for about 8-10 mins, depending on how small you diced them. If the pan gets to dry at any point add 100ml of water.
Once the onion is nice and soft add the crushed garlic and thyme and cook for a further 5 mins. Don't let the garlic colour or the taste will be bitter so gently does it.
Once everything is nicely softened, re-add the lardons and the chicken thighs, now carefully pour the white wine in and turn up the heat to high. Let the white wine cook down to one third of its original volume.
Once the wine is reduced add the carrots and chicken stock. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 5mins.
Now carefully transfer into a casserole dish. I advise removing the chicken thighs for a moment while you transfer the hot liquid, we don't want them plopping in and you getting hot splashes all over you. Once the liquid is in the add the chicken thighs in, I like to try and keep the skins just poking out of the liquid because even with a lid on they stay crisp and brown. If it seems you don't have enough liquid to cover everything (this will depend on the casserole dish you use) just add a little more chicken stock.
See the picture below for an idea of how much liquid there should be, we want the meat submerged but if using skin on its nice to have them just poking out.
Cover with a lid and pop in the oven for 40mins.
After 40mins add the mushrooms and pop back in for another 30 mins.
After the final 30mins in the oven carefully remove.
Again remove the chicken thighs and pour the liquid back into the original sauté pan, turn the heat up and allow to reduce by half, at this point if you still like your sauce thicker add the cornflour mixture.
Once the sauce is at the consistency of your liking, reduce the heat to medium, add the cream and mix well. Have a taste and adjust the seasoning, it shouldn't need anymore salt but I always add another good crack of pepper. You can place the chicken thighs back in to the lovely thick sauce now to warm back through.
After 10 mins it will be ready to serve so sprinkle over your fresh parsley and off you go.... I love a big portion of my garlic mini roasties on the side (recipe available on my website)
