Chicken Paprika Stew with Pierogies Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1/2 pound (about half of a package) smoky, good-quality bacon, chopped into half-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided, plus some for coating the pierogies
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and roughly chopped
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon each: marjoram, cinnamon, ginger
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 cup white wine (or increase chicken stock to 2 cups)
- 1 14 ounce can crushed or diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons butter
Directions:
- Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring up to a boil for the pierogies.
- Place a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Add the bacon and cook until brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes.
- Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper, add to the pot with the bacon and brown all sides, about 5 minutes. Add onions, carrots and garlic, paprika, cumin, marjoram and bay leaves, and cook for about 4-5 minutes, until the veggies are tender.
- Make a well in the middle of the pan and add 2 tablespoons of EVOO. Add the flour to the EVOO and mix to form a rue.
- Add the white wine, (or some chicken stock) scraping up all of the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken stock and tomatoes, and cook for about 20 minutes until the stew has thickened.
- Serve the stew in large bowls with pierogis, over polenta, or with a good flaky biscuit!