Hearty Chicken Stew

Source: Cooks Illustrated: The Best Soups and Stews


8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 lbs), trimmed of excess skin and fat
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped coarse
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons flour
0.5 cup white wine
2.5 cups homemade chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
0.5 teaspoon dried thyme
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
4 medium red potatoes (about 1.25 lbs), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 cup frozen peas (about 6 ozs), thawed
0.25 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 300F. Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper to taste. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium high heat until shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes. Add four chicken thighs, skin-side down, and cook, not moving them until the skin is crisp and well-browned, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, flip the chicken and brown on the othe rside, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer to a large plate and brown the remaining chicken and transfer to the plate and set aside. When the chicken has cooled, remove and discard the skin. With a spoon, remove and discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from the pan.

Add the onion to the empty Dutch oven and saute over medium heat until softened, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and cook until lightly colored, 1-2 minutes. Add the wine scraping up any browned bits stuck to the pot. Add the stock, bay leaf, and thyme, and bring to a simmer. Add the carrots and potatoes, return to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and any accumulated juices, submerging the chicken in the liquid. Return to a simmer, cover, and place the pot in the oven. Cook until the chicken is done, about 30 minutes. Remove the pot from the oven. (Stew can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat).

Add the peas, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in parsley, discard the bay leaf, and adjust the seasonings. Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6.