Chicken Stew de Campagne

16. December 2006 Chicken 0

I stopped by the Dr.’s apartment the other night looking for something to eat and discovered a big pot of chicken stew on the stove. For the past few years, I’ve seen him cook big pots of anything-stew because of his schedule. He’ll have time to pick up groceries but not enough to cook, so they end up sitting in the fridge. The next time he gets a break, he throws them in a pot before they spoil, cook and eat it as a stew for a couple of days–it’s the recipe that keeps on giving. He didn’t have cooked rice so he quickly boiled some water and cooked pasta to match. I ate two bowls’ worth and basically finished what was supposed to be his packed lunch the next day.

Over the weekend, I found some leftover herbs in the fridge from my last trip to the grocery store so I thought I’d make my own. I picked up a couple of boxes of golden raisins to make the stew sweet and used up the chicken legs and breasts I’ve been meaning to cook since last week. Campagne means “countryside” in French and I use it for this chicken stew recipe because it is so simple to make, yet rustic and hearty to eat. It’s so easy “your country-ass can make it,” as Anthony Bourdain would say. Serve it with the leftover white wine you used to cook and pour over rice, pasta or bread. Save some to share with your own Dr.

Ingredients:
6 chicken pieces, excess fat and skin removed
6 slices of bacon, cut in small pieces
2 cups dry white wine
1 large plum tomato, chopped
1 bunch of baby carrots, peeled and cut in small pieces
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 yellow bell pepper, julienned
1 orange bell pepper, julienned
2 small boxes of golden raisins
1 red onion, sliced thinly
2 garlic cloves, minced
thyme sprigs
rosemary sprigs
red pepper flakes
salt

1. Preheat oven to 300Âº. In a large Dutch oven, render fat from bacon. Sprinkle in red pepper flakes. When there’s enough fat, brown chicken pieces on both sides in batches to avoid overcrowding. Remove chicken and bacon to a plate.
2. Lower the heat and sautÃ© garlic until light brown and onions until transparent in rendered fat. Add herbs, peppers and carrots and cook for a few minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until a little bit crushed. Add wine and cook, uncovered, until liquid is reduced by a third.
3. Add raisins, season with salt and simmer for a little bit before covering and putting in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. Serve with rice, pasta or country bread.