[CH] Smoked Chicken Stew with Grits
T. Matthew Evans (matt.evans@ce.gatech.edu)
Thu, 18 Oct 2001 12:04:47 -0400
Hi All --
Hope everyone's northern hemisphere gardens are winding down nicely and that
the southern hemisphere gardens are showing some signs of life -- good luck
to you in the new season. I wanted to let you all know about last night's
dinner -- I made it with smoked chicken because I had some in the freezer
(every once in a while I will spend a day smoking, say, four or five
chickens and drinking beer -- that way I always have some smoked meat in the
freezer), but it would work fine with poached or roasted chicken, too. Here
goes --
Smoked Chicken Stew
2 T olive oil
2 chipotles mecos, crushed (like the "crushed red pepper" in pizza joints)
1 carrot, minced
2 ribs celery, minced
1 medium onion, minced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1/4 t dry Mexican oregano
1/4 t dry thyme
1 T flour
2 c chicken stock (I use homemade, canned is fine)
1 can diced tomatoes (14 oz?)
1/2 lb diced smoked chicken
1/2 c cilantro leaves
Sauté chipotles in olive oil for, say, 30 seconds to flavor the oil. Add
carrot, celery, onion, and bay leaves, season with S&P, and sauté until
tender, but not brown. Add garlic and sauté an additional minute. Stir in
flour, oregano, and thyme and sauté briefly (to remove the raw taste from
the flour). Add chicken stock and tomatoes, bring to a boil, season again
with S&P, and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Add chicken, season again with
S&P, and simmer another 10 minutes or so (to allow the smoke flavor to
permeate the stew). Finish by stirring in cilantro leaves immediately
before serving. I served this over stone-ground grits that I get from a
local mill -- I flavored them with roasted garlic and fresh thyme.
Cooking times, etc. above are not exact -- just simmer/season/thicken/thin
until you get a stew that suits your taste.
Good luck.
Matt
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T. Matthew Evans
Graduate Research Assistant
Geosystems Group, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology
URL: www.prism.gatech.edu/~gte964w
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