Louisiana Country Chicken Stew

One of the first recipes published after Hurricane Katrina in the Times-Picayune was this one from Tory May, chicken stew. The story was on comfort food and how people were gathering around tables for solace. May had made it for her host family in Metairie and evacuee friends. It is a Louisiana country recipe May got from her ex-mother-in-law, a standard Sunday dinner for the family, served with potato salad.

Makes about 8 servings

Instead of the onions, shallots and parsley, you may substitute a large container of pre-chopped Creole seasoning vegetables.

Ingredients

4 each chicken breasts, legs and thighs
Salt and pepper

Coarse garlic-parsley seasoning mix

½ cup oil

½ cup flour

1 to 2 chopped onions

1 small bunch shallots (green onions), chopped

1 small bunch parsley, chopped

4 or more toes (cloves) chopped garlic

1 can cream of mushroom soup

Cooked rice for serving

Cooking Directions

Wash and dry chicken pieces well, and remove some but not all of the skin. Leave it on the bone. Season chicken well with salt, pepper and the garlic-parsley mix.

Heat oil in a large pan until very hot. Add flour and stir with a whisk until the roux is the color of coffee with just a little bit of cream.

Add the chopped vegetables to the roux, stir well and let it cook down. Add the chicken and make sure the chicken is well covered with the seasoned roux mixture. Add water to cover.

Cover the pot and bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and cook 1 ½ to 2 hours, until chicken starts to fall off the bone.

About two-thirds of the way through the cooking process, add the soup to thicken the mixture. Stir well.

Serve over rice.
Source: Times-Picayune