Tuesday 6 May 2014

Lemon Chicken Stew











On cold nights like tonight, I'm happy to slip into my yoga pants, load Downton Abbey into the Blu Ray player, eat a bowlful of Lemon Chicken Stew and then eat my weight in ice cream... I'm a contradiction.



Lemon Chicken Stew
slightly adapted from Foodiecrush
Serves 4

5 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes, plus extra
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra
500g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2cm dice
4 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 sticks celery, thinly sliced
1 brown onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons lemon juice, plus extra lemon wedges to serve
1 cup rice-shaped pasta (I used Seme di Melone which are shaped like the cutest little melon seeds but orzo or risoni would work.)
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped, plus extra chopped dill to serve

Sprinkle the chicken pieces with the salt. Put the flour and pepper into a large zip lock bag, throw in the seasoned chicken pieces, given them a good toss and shake off the excess.

Pour 2 tablespoons of the oil into a large Dutch oven or stockpot and heat over medium-hot flame. Place half the chicken in the hot oil and cook until it is golden brown on all sides. Remove from the oil and transfer it to a plate. Brown the remaining chicken in 2 more tablespoons of the oil and transfer it onto the plate with the rest of the cooked chicken. Set aside.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan and throw in the carrots, celery, onion and a  little salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes until the vegetables start to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the stock, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to simmer. Put a lid on the pot and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the pasta and chicken and cover and simmer for a further 10 minutes or until the pasta is cooked.

Take the pan off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and chopped dill and check seasoning.

Serve piping hot with lemon wedges and extra chopped dill on the side.

18 comments:

  1. My kind of food... and my kinda night in too!

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    1. Thanks Lizzy. It's the right weather for it.

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  2. This sounds so cozy and yummy!

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  3. When it's cold, I do the same thing! :) And this stew seems really special with all those nice ingredients, I love it!

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    1. Thanks Gabrielle. I just want to curl up on cold nights. I guess I'm not alone.

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  4. I could eat this even in the heat of summer. Just gorgeous!

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  5. Love stews filled with flavor, protein and vegetables...and this one sure meets the requirement:)

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    1. Me too. Make you feel good. Thanks for dropping in.

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  6. Sounds like the perfect way to spend an early winter night. This stew will definitely be a favourite with Chris. And you earned the ice cream after eating a healthy dinner. That's the way this thing works, right?

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    1. Yes. That's the way these things work. No wonder we're friends.

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  7. What a wonderful stew, love the way your carrot pics turned out!!

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    1. Thanks Cheri. It's a really good, simple and tasty dinner.

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  8. This looks so delicious and it is currently the perfect weather for it. Adding this to my 'to cook' list :)

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    1. The cooler nights are perfect stew weather. Thanks for stopping by.

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