Chicken Stew

"Tocanita de pui"

On a cold, rainy day such as today, I wanted to cook something warm, comforting and delicious. I was craving a stew, particularly a chicken stew, which is my favorite! The stew that I make is rich in flavor and color. I add carrots and bell peppers for sweetness, and also for my son who loves to grab them with his chubby fingers and eat with his hands. The recipe is super simple and takes very little time, which is another reason why it is such a popular dish at my house!




Ingredients:

6 pieces of bone-in, skin-on chicken* (I used 3 legs and 3 thighs), washed and seasoned with kosher salt or seasoning salt
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 red or yellow bell pepper, sliced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1-2 tbls paprika
2 tbls corn starch



1. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tbls oil and place chicken skin down in pan until it forms a crust and begins to lightly brown (about 2 minutes each side). Remove from the pan and set it aside.
2. In the same pan, heat one more tbls oil on medium heat, and add the onion, carrots and bell pepper. Season the vegetables with salt (about 1 tbls). Let them saute for a few minutes until they become translucent, at this point, you add the paprika and toss to coat evenly.
3. Add the chicken back into the pan and add water to just cover the chicken and vegetables (about 1 1/2 cups).
4. Allow it to come to a boil then add the potato cubes. You can add more water if needed.
5. Reduce the heat to medium-low so that it simmers until the chicken and the potatoes are cooked through evenly (about 15-20 minutes).
6. In a small bowl, mix the corn starch with cold water until it dissolves and then add the mixture to the stew to thicken. Stir the stew for about a minute or two with a wooden spoon while it simmers so that the corn starch is evenly distributed and for the starchy flavor to cook out.
7. Once it thickens to your liking, turn the heat off and add 1 tbls minced parsley, stir and enjoy

*Note: the skin on the chicken is for flavor purposes only, I remove the skin from the pieces of chicken once the stew is all done.

I usually serve stew with polenta, or as we Romanians know it: mamaliga.





To make mamaliga, bring two cups of water to a boil. Add 1 tbls salt, and slowly add corn meal. You will need about 3/4 - 1 cup corn meal to this amount of water, add it slowly, and whisk until it thickens but is still smooth and manageable. Once you begin to add the corn meal, quickly turn the heat down to low and continue to whisk the mixture until the bubbling slows down. Once it slows down, you can stop whisking and let it slowly simmer on low heat for a few minutes until the corn meal cooks through and becomes creamy. Pour it out all at once onto a plate or enjoy it out of the sauce pan.

BONUS RECIPE:
If you have leftovers of the polenta/mamaliga, toss in some bacon bits, sliced scallion, feta cheese and sour cream. Enjoy!