Belgian Braised Stew
Belgian Braised Stew
This delicious and rich stew is traditionally made using rabbit and a dark beer. I’ve mixed it up a bit by using easier-to-source chicken and a good-quality cider.
Servings
4
Prep time
Cook time
Recipe
DF
Ingredients
- 1 cup chicken stock, warmed
- 1 cup prunes
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1kg mixed chicken pieces
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 100g thick-cut bacon or speck
- 2 onions, sliced thinly
- 350mL can cider or dark beer
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp apple-cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme, roughly chopped
- 2 bay leaves
Method
- Heat the chicken stock in a small saucepan and add the prunes to soak.
- Place the flour, salt and pepper in a bowl or bag and add the chicken pieces. Toss to coat the chicken in flour, then shake off excess. Retain the seasoned flour in the bowl.
- Heat a Dutch oven or other heavy-bottom stew pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the olive oil and cook the chicken until golden brown on each side. Work in batches. Set the browned chicken aside.
- Lower the heat to medium and sauté the bacon until it renders most of its fat.
- Sauté the onions in the bacon fat until translucent. Sprinkle the reserved flour. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Gradually add the cider or beer, stirring after each addition to thicken the sauce.
- Bring to a boil, then add the garlic, apple-cider vinegar and herbs.
- Return the chicken pieces to the pot, cover, reduce the heat to low or medium-low and let simmer for 60 mins.
- Add the prunes and the chicken stock, stir and cover.
- Gently simmer over low or medium-low heat for a further 30–50 min, until the chicken is really tender.
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