Slow Cooker Chicken Stew

Well, I guess it is still winter, so let's make slow cooker chicken stew.

What I love about the slow cooker (a statement I never thought I'd make) is that you can really throw any combination of meat, broth and veggies in it and end up with a lovely satisfying meal with little to no effort. At the end of the day (literally) you can serve up a wonderful meal that satisfies both young and old alike.

I've added a ton of root veggies, some porcini mushroom stock, and lots of garlic for a very tasty and hearty stew. The veggies and mushroom stock add an earthy sweetness to the final product.

My neighbors have a ten month old baby. I offered some of this stew to him and he went crazy. He was eating with two hands, the meat, the stewed fennel and the carrots. He made all sorts of appreciative noises, too, and kept reaching for more. I couldn't ask for a better endorsement of the tastiness of this stew.

Well, I got one. My 14 year old daughter was skeptical at first, based on the not-so-pretty-ness of the chicken itself. Once I shredded it up and convinced her to give it a try, she was hooked. The meat was juicy and sweet and tasted of all the great veggies that surrounded it while it cooked.

If this slow cooker chicken stew can please kids aged ten months to 14 years old, then I think it's well worth making. Oh, and of course, the adults loved it, too.

Slow Cooker Chicken Stew

serves 8

Ingredients

• 6 strips bacon, cut up into small pieces
• 3 onions, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into thick rings
• 1 bulb fennel, fronds and hard ends removed, cut into chunks
• 1 bulb garlic, skin removed, cloves crushed
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 sprigs fresh sage
• 2 sprigs fresh oregano
• 20 oil cured olives, pits removed
• 6 chicken thighs
• 1/4 cup rice flour
• 4 tablespoons olive oil (or bacon grease, if you have it)
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 to 2 porcini mushroom boullion cubes (or you can replace the 1 cup of water with wild mushroom broth)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Method:

1. Dry the chicken thighs and coat each piece thoroughly in the rice flour.
2. Put the diced bacon in a small saucepan and over with water.
3. Boil the bacon in the water for ten minutes, drain, dry and set aside.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium to high heat.
5. Add the bacon fat (or olive oil).
6. Place each chicken thigh in the hot pan, skin side down. Do not crowd the thighs, you may need to cook them in batches, to make sure there is enough space in the pan.
7. Cook on the first side for 5 minutes, then flip the thighs over and cook for an additional five minutes. Remove to crock pot and set aside.
8. Once all of the chicken has been browned and removed, add the root vegetables and the boiled bacon to the hot pan. Brown on all sides, making sure to scrape up all the flour onto the veggies.
9. Add the vegetables and bacon to the slow cooker, arranging the chicken to rest slightly on top of the veggies.
10. Add the chicken stock and the porcini boullion cube to the hot pan, cooking long enough to dissolve the boullion.
11. Pour the stock over the chicken and vegetables in the slow cooker. Add water to cover, if you haven't got enough liquid to get to the minimum fill line.
12. Turn the slow cooker on to low and cook for 6 hours.

Real Simple Recipe: Slow Cooker Bratwurst with Sauerkraut and Potatoes

 

I've been reading the recipe section in Real Simple for a very long time. I got hooked way back, when they used to show an ingredient and use it in several dishes. I love the clarity of the instructions and the simplicity of the meals. Admittedly I hadn't made any of the recipes until last week.

My slow cooker has started calling to me. I've only used it four or five times in the year+ that I've owned it, but each time I use it, the results are better. I am becoming  a convert to the idea of a great hot meal awaiting me as soon as I walk in the door from work.

My last foray into slow cooker cooking was with this America’s Test Kitchen’s Slow Cooker Spicy Sausage Tomato Sauce . It turned out pretty tasty.  Primarily I had used the slow cooker to make pulled pork, or stews. I thought it was time to try something a little different.

Real Simple presented me with a fantastic recipe that was different from anything I ever made before. The ingredients list includes sauerkraut (which I love, but don't often have), bratwurst (which I've seen but never used) and caraway (which remind me of my dad, Joe, and therefore make me happy). My local butcher shop supplied me with handmade bratwurst and also happened to have a nice German sauerkraut and mustard (in a boot mug) for sale. I gathered up the remaining ingredients on the list and set to work.

There was no browning involved. Nothing but slicing and measuring. Once everything had been thrown into the slow cooker, I turned it on to low, set the timer for 8 hours, and went about my business. The house started to smell really good around hour 4 and by the hour 8, I was ready to eat.

The dish was great. I love how the caraway mixed with the sausage and white wine to create an earthy flavor. No one flavor over powered any of the others. Instead, the flavors all melded together nicely, and served with mustard on toast (make mine gluten free), this dish was deeply satisfying.  Next time,  I'll make half a batch. There is only so much sauerkraut one girl can eat.

 Real Simple: Sausages with Sauerkraut and Potatoes

serves 4 to 6 people

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, halved if large
• 2 cups sauerkraut, drained
• 1 small onion thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 pounds bratwurst links
• 1/4 cup chopped flat -leaf parsley
• Toasted bread, butter and mustard for serving

Method:

1. In a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker, mix together the potatoes, sauerkraut, onion, broth, wine, caraway seeds, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Nestle the bratwurst in the vegetables.
2. Cover and cook until the potatoes are tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.
3. Sprinkle the bratwurst, potatoes and sauerkraut with the parsley and serve with the toast, butter, and mustard.