It's starting to look and feel like fall here in Virginia and I'm not convinced it's ever going to stop raining. Last weekend I made Tuscan Chicken Stew, which is delicious and comforting and relatively cheap to make. It was the perfect meal for a rainy Sunday night. It's a shame that my friend Mike is in Japan and therefore couldn't come over for dinner, because it's his favorite meal that I've ever made him. So Mike, this one's for you.
Start with a package of chicken thighs. The recipe calls for skinless, bone-in chicken thighs. If you can find a package of skinless, bone-in thighs, good for you. I couldn't find any, so I had to take the skin off of a bunch of regular chicken thighs.
Use a pair of chicken shears to cut away the skin from the thigh. After making a few cuts, you should be able to peel away the skin from most of the thigh.
You can also use this opportunity to cut away some of the excess fat from the thighs.
Heat some olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add it to the skillet, rounded side down.
Brown the chicken, in batches if necessary, about 4 minutes per side.
While the chicken is browning, dice up one large onion.
And a few cloves of garlic.
Once the chicken is browned, transfer it to a platter.
And add the onion and garlic into pot.
Add in a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.
And a teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning.
Cook the onions, garlic and spices until slightly soft, about 5 minutes.
Add in a tablespoon or two of tomato paste.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook until brick red, about 1 minute.
Add in 1/2 cup of dry red wine.
Add the wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits that cling to the pan.
Bring to a boil and cook until syrupy, about 1 minute.
Meanwhile, open and drain a can of cannellini beans (or Great Northern beans, they work too), and add it to the pan.
Add in a 14-oz can of chopped tomatoes.
And then add in 3/4 cup of chicken broth.
Bring the mixture to a boil.
Nestle the chicken pieces in the stew, adding any collecting juices to the pan. Simmer the stew, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
While the stew is cooking, make some homemade garlic bread to eat with it. Melt some butter in a pan.
Add in a few cloves of minced garlic.
Cut up a loaf of good Italian bread into thick slices.
Brush some garlic butter onto each slice.
Place each of the slices on a sheet pan.
And put in the broiler for a few minutes until it is golden brown.
After it has been simmering for 20 minutes, check the chicken thighs to see if they are cooked through. Mine weren't fully cooked, so I had to leave them in for another 5 minutes.
Next add in about 4 cups of baby spinach leaves.
Remember, do not be fooled by the quantity of raw spinach. It will wilt down to nothing.
Finally, grate some pecorino or Parmesan cheese.
Stir the cheese into the stew and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Enjoy the stew!
Serve the stew in shallow bowls with the garlic bread.
Enjoy! By the way, this recipe comes from "How To Boil Water", a Food Network cookbook that was one of the first ones I ever owned. I highly recommend it for beginning cooks.
Tuscan Chicken Stew
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
1 15-oz can cannellini or Great Northern beans
8 bone-in skinless chicken thighs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup dry red wine.
1 14-oz can chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 cups baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese
1. Chop the onions, smash and peel the garlic. Rinse and drain the beans in a colander or strainer.
2. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season all over with salt and black pepper. Add oil to the Dutch oven. When the oil is hot, add chicken, skinned (rounded) sides down, and brown, in batches if necessary, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter.
3. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, and herbs; cook, stirring until onions are slightly soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until brick red, about 1 minute. Add the wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits that cling to the pan. Bring to a boil and cook until syrupy, about 1 minute. Add the beans, tomatoes, and chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Nestle the chicken pieces in the stew, adding any collected juices to the pan. Simmer the stew, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
4. Add the spinach to the stew, cooking only until wilted, about 4 minutes. Stir in the cheese and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Serve in shallow bowls.
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