A flavorful Lemon Chicken Stew cooked together with vegetables and a lightly thickened lemon sauce.
This stew is a really healthy one also. For this recipe, we're using chicken parts containing bone. This means the chicken creates its own broth while it slowly simmers. And it is one of the reasons this stew is so healthy, but also yummy. And I'm sure most of you are already familiar with the health benefits of bone broth. As it's becoming more and more popular nowadays. And for those of you who aren't, you can read this article here.
-And if you want more delicious recipes using whole chicken, try Avgolemono soup. The Authentic Egg-Lemon Chicken Soup that is made with a whole chicken.
Other reasons this stew is really healthy are the vegetables it contains. And the lemon juice, that contains vitamin C and helps with the absorption of protein among other things.
Ingredients To Make Lemon Chicken Stew
THE CHICKEN
To make this Lemon Chicken Stew you need a whole chicken cut into 8 parts or just chicken parts that weigh 1.5 kg (3.3 lb). You can use only chicken legs for example cut in half. Or simply use drumsticks to make it. It doesn't really matter, as long as they contain bone. And ideally, opt for a free-range chicken to give extra flavor.
THE VEGGIES
This stew is made with potatoes, carrots, zucchini, leeks, and spring onions. Though vegetables like zucchini and Spring onion are more into the Spring-Summer season, you can easily substitute them during the colder months for other seasonal vegetables. Such as broccoli, cauliflower, and white cabbage. You can use any of these instead of the zucchinis. They all match nicely into this stew. As for the spring onions simply use red or white onions but don't forget to add them together with the leeks and saute them nicely first.
THE SAUCE
To make the lemon sauce for this stew you need to let the chicken slowly simmer to release its collagen first. This you do after you sear it in hot olive oil first. To give it some colour and a stronger flavor. Then remove the chicken from the pot, and saute the leeks and onions that will give a natural sweetness to the sauce. And once these are nice and soft, you add the seared chicken parts back to the pot.
Pour some apple cider vinegar on top or some white wine instead and wait a few minutes to evaporate. Each one of these ingredients helps to soften the meat and break down the fat. I prefer using apple cider vinegar as I like its fruity flavor for this stew. Just make sure you use organic apple cider vinegar otherwise it will be too rancid.
You can then cover the chicken with some water and vegetable stock, add the seasonings (thyme + bay leaves), and let it slowly simmer on low heat for about 45 minutes before adding the vegetables.
Once both the chicken and vegetables are cooked you can thicken the sauce with some cornstarch. To do this mix some cornstarch with cold water and pour it into the pot. Cornstarch starts to thicken as the sauce boils. So let the sauce boil for 2-3 minutes in order to thicken. And then you can add the lemon juice and zest, and a little bit of butter, turn the heat off but without removing the pot from it until the butter melts completely.
And all that's left, is to serve and enjoy with plenty of freshly ground pepper on top and perhaps some crusty bread as well to dip in the delicious sauce!
Recipe
Lemon Chicken Stew With Vegetables
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1.5 kilogram / 3.3 lb chicken with bone, cut into 8 parts or see text above
- 200 grams / 7 oz leek finely chopped
- 70 grams (½ medium-sized) onion minced
- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons organic apple cider vinegar or 5 tablespoons white wine instead
- 650 ml chicken or vegetable stock
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 220 grams / 7.7 oz baby carrots peeled and cut in half
- 600 grams / 21 ounce potatoes such as Yukon gold peeled and cut into 5 cm (2-inch) cubes
- 65 grams (1 large stick) celery without leaves chopped
- 300 grams / 10.5 oz zucchinis cut into 3 cm (1,5-inch) thick slices
- 5-6 tablespoons lemon juice fresh
- ½ lemon zested
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 25 grams / 0.8 oz butter
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large cooking pot over high heat.
- Pat dry the chicken with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
- Sear the chicken in the hot olive oil until deep golden all over. Don't stack the chicken in the pot if necessary, sear in two batches. Once done, remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside on a plate.
- Turn the heat to medium-low. Add to the pot the leeks, onions, and garlic. Saute for a few minutes until caramelized, stirring and scraping the pot.
- Pour the vinegar (or white wine) into the pot. Add the chicken back to the pot along with its juices that have collected on the plate.
- Cook for a couple of minutes without stirring until the liquid in the pot drains and it stops smelling vinegary (or like alcohol if using wine). Don't stir at this point just tilt and shake the pot a little.
- Pour in the stock season with salt, pepper, bay leaves, and thyme. Once it gets to a gentle boil, turn the heat to low and put the lid on. Simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add the potatoes to the pot making sure they're submerged in the sauce. Add also the carrots, celery, and zucchini. Raise the heat to medium. Put the lid back on and simmer for 25-30 minutes more. Or until the potatoes are cooked.
- Mix together the cornstarch with lemon juice and lemon zest. Pour it into the pot. Add also the butter.
- Shake the pot a little. Raise the heat to high and cook uncovered for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens nicely.
- Serve with plenty of freshly ground pepper on top and enjoy!
Nutrition
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