Master Chef Stewed Chicken
Submitted by jeff_ricker
Master Chef stewed chicken braises a whole bird with fire-roasted bell peppers, tomatoes, red wine, raisins, and olives for a Spanish-Portuguese sweet-and-savory stew. Finished with a flour-thickened gravy.
YIELD
16 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
1½ hrsThis is a classic Iberian-style stewed chicken, with the unmistakable sweet-and-savory profile that runs through Spanish and Portuguese cooking. Raisins and sugar play against tart tomatoes and salty olives, with red wine and a pinch of clove tying everything together into something far more interesting than the sum of its parts.
Fire-roasting the bell peppers over an open flame is the right move, even though it adds a step. The smoky char from the blistered skins infuses the entire stew with a depth that raw bell peppers can’t match. Pull the skins off after charring and you get sweet, silky pepper flesh that practically melts into the sauce.
The stew finishes with a slurry of flour and cold water stirred into the cooking liquid, which thickens it into a glossy, spoon-coating gravy. That final 2-minute boil is essential to cook out the raw flour taste.
Pro Tips
- Char the peppers until the skins are completely black; under-charred peppers won’t peel cleanly and you’ll lose the smoky flavor.
- Use a dry red wine, not a sweet one. The recipe already includes 3 tablespoons of sugar; sweet wine pushes it over the edge.
- Use bone-in chicken pieces (or a whole cut-up bird) rather than boneless; the bones add gelatin and flavor to the broth.
- Stir the flour slurry into the simmering liquid in a slow stream while whisking to prevent lumps.
Variations
- Add 2 minced garlic cloves with the onion for extra savory depth.
- Substitute pitted Spanish olives for whatever olives you have for an even more Iberian flavor.
- Stir in ½ cup of slivered almonds during the last 10 minutes for crunch and a more festive presentation.
Ingredients
Directions
Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste inside and out.
Hold bell peppers over flame of gas burner or broil in oven until skins blister. Remove skins and seeds. Chop bell peppers, onion and tomatoes.
Melt lard over medium-high heat in 4-quart pot. When hot, put chicken in pot and turn to brown on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes. Add chopped onion, tomatoes and bell peppers and cook, stirring, 4 minutes.
Add wine, sugar, raisins, olives, cloves and salt and pepper to taste and stir to mix well. Add 2 cups water and stir.
Cover and cook over low heat until juices run clear when chicken is pricked with fork, about 45 minutes. Check liquid during cooking and add more hot water if needed.
Remove chicken to hot platter. Combine 2 tablespoons flour with 3 tablespoons water and stir into pan juices. Bring to boil and cook, stirring, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
Pour over chicken and serve.
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