French Peasant Chicken Stew Recipes

FRENCH PEASANT CHICKEN STEW

Steps:

• In 4-quart saucepan, mix all ingredients except peas and chicken.
• Heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; simmer about 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
• Stir in peas and chicken. Cover; simmer about 5 minutes or until peas are tender.

TRADITIONAL FRENCH CASSOULET RECIPE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cover beans with 3 quarts water and add salt. Stir to combine and let sit at room temperature overnight. Drain and rinse beans and set aside.
• Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Place stock in a large liquid measuring cup and sprinkle gelatin over the top. Set aside. Heat duck fat (if using) in a large Dutch oven over high heat until shimmering. Add salt pork and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a large bowl, leaving rendered fat in Dutch oven, and set aside. (If not using duck fat, cook pork with no additional fat.)
• Season chicken pieces with pepper (do not add salt) and place skin side down in now-empty pan. Cook without moving until well-browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Flip chicken pieces and continue cooking until lightly browned on second side, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer to bowl with salt pork.
• Add sausages and cook, turning occasionally, until well-browned on both sides. Transfer to bowl with salt pork and chicken. Drain all but 2 tablespoons fat from pot.
• Add onions to pot and cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Cook until onions are translucent but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add drained beans, carrot, celery, garlic, parsley, bay leaves, cloves, and stock/gelatin mixture. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce to low, cover Dutch oven, and cook until beans are almost tender but retain a slight bite, about 45 minutes.
• Using tongs, remove carrots, celery, parsley, bay leaves, and cloves and discard. Add meats to pot and stir to incorporate, making sure that the chicken pieces end up on top of the beans with the skin facing upwards. Beans should be almost completely submerged. Transfer to oven and cook, uncovered, until a thin crust forms on top, about 2 hours, adding more water by pouring it carefully down the side of the pot, as necessary, to keep beans mostly covered.
• Break crust with a spoon and shake pot gently to redistribute. Return to oven and continue cooking, stopping to break and shake the crust every 30 minutes until you reach the 4 1/2 hour mark. Return to oven and continue cooking undisturbed until the crust is deep brown and thick, about 5 to 6 hours total. Serve immediately.

FRENCH CHICKEN STEW

Steps:

• In a 5 to 6- quart slow cooker combine mushrooms, undrained tomatoes, carrots, onion, potato, green beans, olives, broth, wine, tapioca, herbes de Provence, thyme and pepper. Place chicken on top; sprinkle with seasoned salt. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6-7 hours or on high-heat setting for 3-4 hours.
• Stir in pasta sauce. If desired, serve with French bread.

FRENCH STEWED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Put the flour in a shallow dish and season with the thyme, salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off the excess. Heat the EVOO in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned and crisp on both sides. Remove to a plate. Melt the butter in the pot over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until lightly browned. Add the shallots, carrots and sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for a couple of minutes to soften. Deglaze with the wine, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Stir in the tarragon, olives and tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Return the chicken to the pot and cook, partially covered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Slice the baguette on an angle and toast in the oven. Divide the chicken and sauce among plates and serve with the baguette. Cook's Note: The stewed chicken can be covered and refrigerated for a make-ahead meal. Reheat over medium heat.