And Speaking of Chicken...

All good things come to those who wait, right? And in keeping with the recent Sunday dinner theme, here's a gorgeously textured, deliciously simple chicken stew ideal for preparing on a long, lazy, chilly weekend day. It's a bit of a work in progress, so there is plenty of room for variation with this dish (especially if you share them with everyone else!) - think of it as a "base" then take it wherever you like - after all, if you're like me, you never make the same thing the same way twice. Luckily, this is the kind of recipe that can take a good beating in the "experimental" department! Just remember to soak the beans for a good 12 hours or overnight first...

What You Need

• 1 package of Market Bean Soup mix (a blend of lentils, navy beans, white beans, pinto beans)
• 1 fennel bulb, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 bunch of carrots (about 6), chopped in long, thick pieces
• 2-3 shallots, chopped
• 1 can stewed tomatoes with peppers & garlic
• 1 can ROTEL or tomatoes with jalapeno/hot peppers*
• 2 full boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
• olive oil
• chicken stock (once again, if you're not game for making your own - no pun intended - then store-bought low sodium is fine)
• Vermouth or dry white wine (if you read the previous recipe, you're probably noticing a trend...)
• Bay leaves, sea salt, black pepper, red pepper
  

*If you don't like hot food, skip the ROTEL and kick in a few more stewed tomatoes if you're so inclined.


What You Do

1. Drain off the beans, place them in a large stock pot and just cover with water. Simmer them on medium-high heat for one hour.
2. In the meantime, saute onion, fennel, garlic and shallots gently in olive oil, then set aside.
3. Using the same saute pan, brown the chicken.
4. When beans have simmered for an hour, add carrots, onion, fennel, garlic, shallots and chicken, followed by the stewed tomatoes and Rotel.
5. Toss in a couple of bay leaves and simmer for two - three more hours, adding a dash of Vermouth/white wine about half-way through. You'll know it's done when some of the beans begin to "mush" a little and the chicken begins to fall apart. Be careful not to overcook at this point, or you'll end up with something that looks like a giant glob of baby food - not quite what you're going for.
6. Season with sea salt, red pepper and cracked black pepper to taste.

Serve with crusty french bread and a simple, fresh lettuce salad for contrast.


Bottoms Up: Try a lovely, mellow white with this - something a little bit tangy and dry that will set off the thick, warm texture of this dish.