It snowed in Vancouver today! It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, I am over the moon. This is what winter is about. Bright skies, blinding white snow, rosy cheeks, wool mittens, mugs of creamy hot chocolate, and a steaming bowl of stew.
This succulent chicken stew with apples and cabbage might just be the best stew ever made. It’s got cream and bacon, need I go on? It is positively packed with earthy vegetables. Tender bites of tart apple offset the richness. Sweet, aromatic sage perfectly complements the winter flavours.
I mopped it up with warm, homemade whole wheat bread, and then I licked the bowl.
The celery root is a lumpy, gnarled tuber. The ugly stepsister of vegetables if ever there was one. Don’t let it’s arthritic, bulbous appearance put you off. It’s flavour is fresh, and it’s texture is rich and potato-like. Also known as celeriac, it is the nutrient-packed root of a specific kind of celery plant. It tastes like celery, with the volume cranked way up high. In a pleasant way. It mellows out perfectly in a slow-cooked dish.
Of course, the blog post was this close to being called Seagull Stew with Cabbage and Apples. But let’s not go down that road again.
Chicken Stew with Apples and Cabbage
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon cut into 1/2-inch lengths
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 large cloves garlic or 3 small
- ½ medium green cabbage finely sliced crosswise (2 1/2 to 3 cups shredded)
- 2 apples peeled, cored and chopped
- 1 celery root peeled and cut in 1-inch pieces
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 cup cream
- 2 tbsp minced fresh sage
- 2 bay leaves
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Heat a large, lidded saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and sauté until browned; set aside. Pour off the fat, then return 2 tablespoons to the pan.
- Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer, being careful not to over-crowd the pan (you'll probably have to do 2 batches); brown on all sides, then set the chicken aside.
- Add the olive oil to the pan, swirling to coat. Add the onion and sauté until golden brown, 3–5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add the cabbage, apples and celery root and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, stir the flour into 1/2 cup of the chicken broth, eliminating any lumps. Add the flour mixture to the pot along with the remaining broth, cream, sage and bay leaves. Stir in the chicken and bacon and cover. When it comes to a rapid simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and the celery root is cooked through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Don’t sleep on this one. The apples melt into the broth and add the most beautiful sweetness that plays so well with the cabbage. Cozy, comforting, and felt healthy too.