Hearty Chicken Stew

Directions

1. Stock and Meat
2. Wash chicken, thoroughly pat dry, and cut into pieces. Remove backbone first, then thighs, drumsticks, and wings. Split breasts. LEAVE ALL SKIN ON. . Lay all pieces, skin side up, on a cookie sheet and season with salt and pepper. Set aside in fridge.
3. Heat fat (or oil) in large dutch oven until wisps of smoke start. Place pieces of chicken including backbone, skin side down, into fat but do NOT crowd. Brown in batches, turning ONLY when skin browns. Once chicken is browned, remove to cleaned cookie sheet and set aside.
4. Add garlic to oil and brown. DO NOT BURN! Remove.
5. Place carrot segments into oil, flat side down first and lightly brown. Turn when brown and slightly brown curved side. Do the same with celery and onions. . Once everything is browned and removed, use a wad of paper towel to soak up most of the grease. Deglaze with the wine, scraping the brown bits.
6. Return all to pot and barely cover with water. Add bay leaves and bouquet. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 1.5 hours
7. Carefully remove chicken pieces, strain stock, pick out any leftover chicken meat and discard vegetables.
8. Remove all meat from bones. Discard bones and skin. After meat is cooled cut into chunks and set aside.

1. Stew
2. In a stock pot or the same Dutch oven, bring the stock and herbs to a boil. Add carrots and potatoes, reduce to simmer, and cook until BARELY tender (about 15 mins).
3. . Add celery and onions and simmer for another 15 minutes.
4. Add remaining ingredients, except flour, and simmer all until cooked through.
5. If stew is thin, mix 2 Tbls. of tapioca flour with enough water to make a smooth slurry. Bring stew back to a full boil and add slurry until the desired thickness is achieved. Reduce heat to low.
6. . Serve with a warm crusty bread.