Southern Chicken Stew Recipe - Southern Plate (2024)

FAQs

What adds richness to a stew? ›

My way is to brown the beef which adds flavor, use a flavorful beef broth, and season the stew well. I also like to add a bit of dark roux or dry roux (browned flour) for flavor. My wife's way is to boil water, dry onion soup mix, and the beef for a while and then add the vegetables. Both stews are flavorful.

Most casserole and stew dishes start off with the same base of onions, celery and carrot, sauteed gently to release the flavours. Sauteed means cooked gently and stirred often until the sugars wake up in the vegetables, allowing them to release their full flavour. You could add a little crushed garlic if you like that.

In case you were wondering if there was a difference---yes there is! With brown stew chicken, the cooking time takes a bit longer and the process for making it is slightly different (i.e. marinating it preferably overnight, the seasoning required, etc.).

The flour helps to thicken a stew as it cooks. Whisk a teaspoon of flour in a little cold water to make a slurry, then stir into the stew as it's cooking. Don't add dry flour directly to the stew as it may clump. After adding the slurry, bring the stew to boil.

For most types of stew, it takes time to develop great flavor. Stew uses collagen-rich, tough cuts of meat, which need at least two hours to break down. If you try to rush it and boil the stew, the muscle fibers will shrink and become tough. So give yourself a few hours to let it do its thing.

Add the wine and tomato paste to the onions and other aromatics in a pan before slow cooking. Plus, this helps to really deglaze any fond that's left. This ingredient is one that your mum and nan would probably use in their stews. It adds a bit of tang, sweetness and savoury spices that give an extra punch of flavour.

Personally I would add as many aromatics and flavor enhancing substances that I like. If the stew is already finished, then you can sauté onions, garlic peppers, celery and carrots then add them to the stew. I would also add some herbs and finally salt and pepper to taste.

Not adding enough seasoning would be the second potential issue. Add plenty of pepper and some salt and it should taste better. Using beef stock or red wine is better than water for the liquid. Use just enough to cover the meat and vegetables.

Don't Stew the Stew Too Long Either

It might seem that cooking your beef stew on low for 8 hours will make it even better, but that is not true at all.

You might think that additional cooking time may lead to more tender chicken but overcooking the chicken stew will lead to tough chicken! Stewing chicken leads to tender pieces of chicken but overcooking them, especially on high heat, will make the chicken chewy instead of melt-in-your-mouth tender.

Why is my chicken stew tough? ›

As mentioned above, overcooked chicken is the most common reason for rubbery chicken because the chicken loses moisture as it cooks. Checking the internal temperature of the chicken is the best way to avoid this.

Start by cooking your stew without the lid on for a bit longer—this will allow for more of the liquid to evaporate and let the stew reduce. (Cooking with a lid on traps the moisture inside instead of letting it cook off.)

Your onions will be fine, but mushy potatoes and carrots are a no-no. Instead, add them about 20 minutes before the end of cooking. When they're tender, the stew is done.

Corn starch has twice the thickening power of flour. When a gravy, sauce, soup or stew calls for flour, use half as much corn starch to thicken. To thicken hot liquids: first mix Canada Corn Starch with a little cold water, until smooth. Gradually stir into hot liquid until blended.

Arrowroot Powder thickens instantly, like cornflour but it doesn't discolour the liquid or affect the taste. It's often used in things like puddings and jellies. There are 29 calories in 1 tablespoon of Arrowroot Powder, only slightly less than cornflour.

"If your broth is lacking in savory richness, try adding roasted onion, tomato paste, mushrooms, seaweed, soy sauce, or miso. These ingredients add umami flavor and depth to broth," she says. The choice of ingredient depends on the recipe, though.

Using stock adds a depth and richness to cooking that both compliments and brings out the flavour of a dish. When it comes to cooking rice and other grains, stock is a great ingredient to add flavour to the dish at a base level.

Beef stock on its own should be extremely rich; how did you make it? If the soup is already made and you just want to deepen the flavour, try a shake of a pre-made sauce such as Worcestershire, brown sauce, barbecue sauce, soy or even kecap manis etc. For next time, more or better beef stock.

An ingredient that adds richness, flavor, and tenderness to baked products is fat. This category includes items like butter, oil, shortening, and margarine. Their role in baking is critical. They add moisture, create tenderness by inhibiting gluten formation, and contribute to the richness of both taste and texture.