Description

This comforting Chicken Stew features tender bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks braised in a rich, flavorful sauce made with white wine, chicken broth, vegetables, and aromatic herbs. Slow baked in the oven until the chicken skin is golden and crispy and the potatoes are tender, this hearty stew is perfect served with warm crusty bread to soak up the savory sauce.

Ingredients

Scale

Meat

1.5 kg / 3 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks (6 to 8 pieces)

Vegetables & Aromatics

2 onions, halved and cut into wedges
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 large carrots, cut thick end into 1.5cm (3/5″) pieces, thin end 2.5cm (1″) pieces
4 celery stalks, cut into 2cm (4/5″) chunks
600 g / 1.2 lb baby potatoes, halved (quartered if large)

Liquids & Seasonings

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup (125 ml) white wine (or water)
3 cups (750 ml) chicken broth, low sodium
3 tbsp (35 g) flour
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Herbs & Spices

3 sprigs thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme (or other herb)
2 bay leaves (dried or fresh)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh thyme or parsley, chopped (for garnish)

To Serve

Warm crusty bread

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Instructions

Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 180C/350F to get it ready for baking the stew.
Brown the Chicken: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over high heat. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then brown them on both sides until light golden. Remove the chicken and set aside. Do this in batches if your pot is small.
Sauté Onions and Garlic: If there’s excess oil in the pot, discard some. Add the onions and minced garlic to the pot and cook for about 2 minutes until onions become translucent.
Add Carrots and Celery: Stir in the chopped carrots and celery and cook for another minute to start softening the vegetables.
Deglaze with Wine: Pour in the white wine, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot to dissolve browned bits. Let the wine cook off for about a minute until mostly evaporated.
Incorporate Flour: Sprinkle the flour evenly over the vegetables and stir well to combine, which will help thicken the sauce later.
Add Broth and Flavorings: Pour in the chicken broth along with the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Stir thoroughly to dissolve the tomato paste and combine all ingredients.
Return Chicken to Pot: Nestle the browned chicken pieces on top of the liquid, trying to keep the skin above the liquid surface for crispiness.
Simmer and Bake Covered: Bring the stew to a simmer on the stovetop, then cover and transfer the pot to the oven. Bake for 45 minutes to gently cook the chicken and develop flavor.
Add Potatoes and Bake Uncovered: Remove the lid and add the baby potatoes, pushing them into the liquid. Rearrange the chicken so the skin faces upwards. Return the pot to the oven uncovered and bake for another 40 minutes until the chicken skin is deep golden and crispy, the potatoes are tender, and the sauce is thickened.
Season to Taste: Remove from oven, discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
Serve: Spoon the stew into bowls, garnish with fresh thyme or parsley, and serve with warm crusty bread or garlic bread to soak up the delicious sauce.

Notes

You can substitute white wine with water if preferred, though wine adds depth of flavor.
Keeping the chicken skin above the liquid during baking helps achieve a crispy texture.
For a thicker sauce, you can reduce the broth slightly before adding chicken back to the pot or add an extra tablespoon of flour mixed with water as a slurry.
Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.