Basic Stew

A good hearty stew always warms me up, especially when served with toasted bread or steamed rice. It makes a great meal when you have friends over. What's more, it's easy to cook and you'll get a balanced meal in a pot! Here's the basic recipe for the basic chicken stew. Of course, you can substitute chicken for beef or lamb, or add more stuff, such as sausages, to the stew.

Photo courtesy of Marilyn

Ingredients

1kg of chicken legs, bone-in or deboned. Keep the bones if you have deboned them

1.5l of chicken broth

3 mid-sized tomatoes, diced

5 potatoes, skinned and cut into chunks

1 large carrot, cut into chunks

1 onion, finely chopped

1 to 2 Bay leaves

Olive oil

Dried thyme

Ground paprika

Red or white wine (optional)

Steps

1. Heat up a pot deep enough for stewing. Add a good lug of olive oil and add in all the chopped onions. Fry till soft. 

2. If you have deboned the legs, add the bones to the onions. 

3. To the pot, add in the tomatoes, followed by carrots and potatoes.

4. Add all of the chicken stock into the pot. Use a long spoon to scrape the base of the pot. That is all the caramelized stuff with the best flavours. 

5. Add the bay leaves in. Allow the stew base to boil and let it simmer

6. Meanwhile, season the chicken with paprika and thyme. Brown them in a frying pan and add into the stew base. 

7. Allow the stew to work itself out as it simmers over low heat. Reduce the liquid till about 2/3 is left. Add some flour to thicken the liquid.

8. Serve together with toasted bread or steamed rice.