Cider Chicken Stew With Fall Vegetables

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 1/2-1 3/4 lbs chicken, rinsed & patted dry (5 serving pieces, preferably 1 drumstick, 1 thigh, 1 wing, and 2 half breasts)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 large shallots, minced
• 2 cups cider
• 1 cup dry wine
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 small bay leaf
• 1 cup rich chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
• 2 carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut diagonally into inch long pieces
• 2 red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch wedges
• 1/2 lb green beans or 1/2 lb sugar snap pea, strings removed
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Recipe

• 1 trim fat off chicken.
• 2 season flour with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• 3 dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess back into the bowl; reserve 1 1/2 tablespoons flour.
• 4 in a dutch oven or large, flameproof casserole dish, melt the butter with the oil over med-high heat; sauté the chicken until golden brown (5-7 minutes).
• 5 remove to a plate and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the pan.
• 6 add the shallots and sauté until soft and fragrant (1 minute).
• 7 add the cider and wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any brown bits.
• 8 tie the thyme, cloves, cinnamon, and bay in a cheesecloth bag and add to the wine mixture.
• 9 boil for 5 minutes.
• 10 add the chicken stock, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• 11 return the chicken to the pan along with any juices that have collected on the plate.
• 12 add the carrots and potatoes; simmer, covered, over low heat until the chicken and vegetables are tender (25-30 minutes).
• 13 bring a saucepan of water to a boil; add the peas or beans and boil just until tender (2 minutes for peas; 8 minutes for beans).
• 14 drain and rinse well under cold water.
• 15 when the chicken is done, remove it to a serving dish, and cover it to keep it warm.
• 16 skim as much fat as possible off the top of the liquid in the pan.
• 17 dissolve reserved flour in 2 1/2 tablespoons stock or water; mix into the stew.
• 18 boil over high heat until slightly thickened (1-2 minutes).
• 19 stir in the cream and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• 20 return the chicken to the stew.
• 21 add the peas and simmer 1-2 minutes longer to heat through.