Chicken Stew

We had our first snowfall of the year and as a transplant from Edmonton, Alberta this means the world to me. As a rule, a Vancouver winter mainly consists of rain, rain and even more rain so when it does snow, it's a special occasion. There are two things I crave after a big snowfall and they are stew and roasts, both being either chicken or beef. In this case it was chicken stew. With my cold in the not so distant past I was still yearning for a little more of the chicken noodle soup cure but trust me, I was one too many bowls over that so I decided to make a more hearty version.

I basically went with the same ingredients for the soup and thickened it with some flour and potatoes. The result was exactly what I was looking for, a comforting robust stew that warmed me from the inside out. While I know the snow is only here for a moment and the rain is sure to fall again, I can be sure to rely on this chicken stew all winter long to warm my bones and my soul.

RECIPE:

Follow all of the same steps for this stock as the Chicken Noodle Soup stock recipe. In this case you will have leftover chicken stock which can be frozen for up to 3 months or refrigerated for up to a week.

Stew:
2 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 carrots, cut into half inch pieces
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 small onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 yukon gold potatoes, cut into half inch pieces
1/2 cup frozen peas
4 cups chicken stock
3 TBS flour
3 TBS butter
1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped very finely
1/8 cup parsley
s&p to taste

In a large pot, saute onions, carrots and celery with the butter over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add garlic and saute another 3-4 minutes. Add the flour to the vegetables and stir constantly for 2-3 minutes. Slowly add the stock to the pot along with the chicken and potatoes and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover and simmer stew for about 45 minutes, stirring regularilary. Add the chopped rosemary and continue cooking another 15 minutes. Add the peas and parsley, cover and simmer another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve with crusty bread.