Easy chicken stew

Yesterday I filled a raincheck for 30 pounds of chicken thighs. That was also the day that thermometer read -11˚F before windchill at 8 am. Those two things together yielded the culinary winter haven that was tonight's dinner.

I love chicken thighs because they are rather juicier and more flavorful than breasts, and are large enough to constitute an actual serving, a opposed to wings or legs, which are mostly bone and, quite, frankly, more like chicken novelty than actual food. They're also a little more calorie-laden than their drier, whiter sisters, but that's a sacrifice I don't mind making these days, especially when they're less than $1/pound. This recipe is my hearty, slightly more virile version of the Coq au Vin I served on Christmas Day. It's not nearly so fussy, time consuming, or rich, but that's okay, because it's delicious, and easily adaptable to any size family. It's also easy and takes only about an hour, start to finish.

Easy Chicken Stew

based loosely on Julia Child's Coq au Vin from Mastering the Art of French Cooking

For every (adult) person you want to serve, use the following:

1 chicken thigh, skin removed

1/4 onion, roughly chopped

1 small to medium red potato, chopped

1/2 carrot, chopped

3 large mushrooms, quartered (optional)

1 clove garlic, chopped or crushed

1-1 1/2 tsp Herbes de Provence

1 1/2 cups beef (YES BEEF!) broth.

You'll also need:

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 bay leaf

2 Tbsp butter, softened

3 Tbsp flour

I made for 4, so I used 4 thighs, 1 onion, 4 potatoes, 2 carrots, 4 cloves garlic, 1 1/2 Tbsp Herbes, and 6 cups broth for my family of 2 adults and 3 ravenous children. It was enough, but it was gone when we were done.

Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a large, thick pot with a lid (I use Grandma's cast iron 8" chicken pot) over medium high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then brown in the pan, about 2 minutes per side. Remove chicken from pan. Add vegetables to pan, season with Herbes, add garlic and bay leaf, then place chicken back on top. Pour broth over the top until it roughly covers the chicken. You might need a little more or a little less depending on how much you're making, and the size and shape of your pot. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer for 45-60 minutes, at least until the chicken is cooked through and vegetables are soft.

(At this point you could cool it and store it in the refrigerator for later, even overnight of you'd like. It's a great make-ahead meal. Then just reheat and pick up with the next paragraph. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.)

About 10 minutes before serving, remove the chicken to a platter. Combine softened butter and flour into a smooth paste, then stir into the vegetable and broth in the pot. Cook and stir at a gentle simmer until thickened. Return chicken to pot, heat thoroughly, and serve. Yield 1 thigh with veggies and gravy for each person, and it's to die for, especially on a cold winter day like today.

Notes (a.k.a. in case you were wondering . . .)

*Make sure your pot is big enough for a large stew. You don't want to make a mess.

*I deboned the chicken while the gravy was thickening for ease of eating, but you can do it before cooking or not at all if you choose.

*Herbes de Provence are not as easy to find as they should be. You can substitute thyme, rosemary, oregano or a combination of any of those, but the lavender in the Herbes is amazing, so I highly recommend including it if you can.

* If you use more than 6 cups broth, you may need to increase the amount of butter and flour to ensure a good thickening.