Revised 12/7/07 ~ I just saw BooMama's Souptacular and had to throw this soupalicious post hat into the stockpot (or something like that :) ). Noni's Chicken Stew is soooo doggone good, whatever it takes to put it out there, well, it needs to be out there. Try this...enjoy...again and again and again!
Motherhood Apoligetica is hosting this month's Recipe Round-up, and her selected them is "Freezer Recipes".
Since Fall has yet to hit the Tennessee Valley is upon us, I'm posting one of my favorite cold weather delights (and one I'm making today even though mid 70s hardly constitutes "sweatah weathah"): Noni's Chicken Stew. One or two few votes were cast for it when I offered it as one of my Fun Monday favorite recipes--everyone else who "voted" had no idea what they were missing. It's simpler than pie to make as long as you don't mind shredding cooked chicken.
Ingredients:
Whole chicken or 3-4 chicken breasts
1 Bayleaf
1 Onion, chopped
1-2 Peeled, cubed potato(es)
1 Can stewed tomatoes (or 2, or when doubling the recipe, 3)
1 Can cream-style corn (I don't add two cans, even when doubling the recipe)
1/4 cup of evaporated milk or warmed 1/2 and 1/2 (I don't measure this)
Cover chicken with water, add bay leaf, and bring to a boil; simmer until done (this varies depending on whether you use a whole chicken, boned chicken cut into pieces or boneless breasts...just cook the bird til it's done--about 1-2 hours. The longer, the more tender your chicken).
(Whole chickens, while MUCH less expensive than breasts or even leg quarters, are disgusting to de-bone. I spared you the gore and slime of me shredding it after it was done...plus, my fingers were a slippery mess and I wasn't about to photograph it.)
Remove chicken, cool, then shred. Skim fat from broth.
An easy way to skim fat is to refrigerate the broth until it congeals enough to remove it in chunks. Chunky congealed chicken fat--appetizing, n'est pas?
Return chicken to broth, add chopped onion and return to a boil. Simmer for up to 1/2 hour.
Meanwhile, blend stewed tomatoes in a blender. Although my MIL always uses only one can, I always use two (mainly because for years, I kept forgetting to ask her and I figured more was better). In this recipe, I'm actually doubling most everything so I'll have enough for dinner tonight, enough to share with a friend, and if I'm lucky, a little left over to freeze for a rainy day :).
See the smooth consistency post-blend? There's a time and place for chunky tomatoes...Noni's Chicken Stew is neither.
After adding tomatoes, simmer for up to another half hour. Dice a potato or two and add to pot, simmering for about 15 minutes. Add cream-style corn and simmer an additional 10 minutes.
Cut off pot and add evaporate milk or warmed 1/2 and 1/2.
Mmmmmm, enjoy with your favorite crusty Italian loaf or cornbread. And what you don't eat today or for tomorrow's leftovers? Once cooled, just seal it in air-tight packaging, tuck it away in the corner of your freezer, then pull it out and thaw for a quick meal when you're just too tuckered out to cook.
Additional notes: My MIL makes this over the course of an afternoon, I usually add the ingredients back-to-back because who has time to wait 30 minutes between ingredients?! The taste seems close enough to me, and you'll never know the difference ;).