Some of my blog posts are on why we have adopted certain foods in the Western Culture, we tended to eat the foods more readily available over the colder Winter months and they have become staples in our culture. There is nothing wrong with mixing things up though, i love trying new things.Sweet Potatoes or Yams are one of those Vegetables that have a long shelf life and will store for several months if kept properly. They are a sweet root and common to have at a Holiday Dinner, but they are very versatile and can be used in more then a mashed Dish.
This stew has a Mediterranean Flavour with all the warmth and aromatics you might find from Africa and I have mixed in some common Canadian ingredients. If you like Indian Curries,Vindaloo or East Mediterranean Spices, this dish has many of the complexities you will find in dishes from Africa, but with less heat. I have variations of this Stew with different proteins and vegetables, but the Spice Blend is almost identical in each.Note:
I'm using Chicken as the protein in this Stew, the aromatics also go well with Pork and Lamb. You can skip the Meat and serve as is as a side dish or even cook it with Chick Peas and turn it into a dip. In future, I'll post recipes for those ideas if you would like to check back to try them.
You will need a deep Roasting Pan or a Dutch oven to create this Stew. It will need to be transferrable from the Stove Top to the Oven.
Prep time is approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
Cooking time takes approximately 45 - 55 minutes.
Serves 4 to 6 portions depending on the size of the Sweet Potato and Bell Pepper * (see notes below)
Ingredients
2 Chicken Breasts, Cubed 1" Diameter
1 Large Sweet Potato, Chopped1/2 Medium Sized Onion, Chopped
2 Large Garlic Cloves, Diced
1/2 Medium Fennel Bulb
1 Large Red Bell Pepper, Chopped
1 Celery Stalk, Chopped
1 Cup Button Mushrooms, Cleaned, Stemmed and Quartered
3/4 Cup Dried Cranberry
2 TBSPS Unsalted Butter
2/3 Cups White Wine
3 to 4 Cups Chicken Stock
Spices, Dried:
1/2 TSP Cumin, Ground
1/2 TSP Coriander, Ground
1/2 TSP Red Pepper Flakes, Whole
1/4 TSP Rosemary, Cracked
1/4 TSP Fenugreek, Flakes
1/4 TSP Ginger, Ground or Grated
Spices, Whole:
1 Cinnamon Stick (** see notes below)
2 Large Bay Leaves
1/4 TSP each Salt and Pepper to Season the Chicken.
Thickening Agents:
1 TBSPS Tomato Paste or Powder
1 TSP Red Bell Pepper Paste or Powder
(Paprika*** see notes below)
2 TBSP Almond Meal (**** see notes below)
Pre-Heat your oven to 350 F.Prepare all of your ingredients:
Garlic Clove should be finely Diced.
Red Pell Pepper and Sweet Potato should be cut to 1 1/2" in size.
All other Vegetables Chop to approximately 1" in size. Quarter any Mushrooms which are larger than an 1"Cut Chicken Cubes to 1 " as well.
On the Stove Top
Add 2 TBSPS of Butter to your Roasting Pan or Dutch Oven.
Bring Butter up to a medium heat.
Add Diced Garlic and Chopped Onion, Stir and cook until it just becomes translucent.
Add Chicken Cubes, Stir.
Add Bay Leaves and Cinnamon Stick. Stir again until all the edges of the Chicken have started to turn white.
Add White Wine, Apple Juice and let liquid steam away for 7 to 10 Minutes.Add Chopped Celery, Fennel and Mushrooms, Stir in.
Add remaining Spices, Sweet Potato and Red Bell Pepper, Stir again.
Add enough Chicken Stock to the Pot to cover your ingredients
Just cover, you don't want to make a soup
Add Cranberries and stir them in.
Cover the Pot with a lid and cook in the oven for 30 minutes. Lower rack.
While the stew cooks, your house will be filled with the scents of the spices as they stew with the rest of the ingredients. It's absolutely heavenly!
Hint:At the 30 minute mark, remove from oven and check Sweet Potato for firmness, If it's very soft, no need to replace to the oven. Add the thickening agents stir and let sit for 10 minutes uncovered. Stir a few times.
If the Sweet Potato is still firm, add the thickening agents, stir in and replace the pot to the oven, "uncovered" and cook 10 to 15 minutes more. Stir at the 5 minute mark and check the Sweet Potatoes for doneness. You don't want them to get too mushy.There you go, ready to serve. This is a hearty Stew with fragrant Spices and a wonderful winter warming meal.
Notes:
* As the sizes of the vegetables vary, portions quantities will vary too. I prefer to use the full Sweet Potato at once.
** When cooking with Cinnamon, a Cinnamon stick works better then Cinnamon Powder. A large quantity of Cinnamon Powder will change the consistency of the Stew and it will become "stringy".*** I dehydrate Vegetables in the Fall - I make my own "Paprika" by grinding down Red Bell Pepper which has been dehydrated. Regular Paprika works as well. Same with the Tomato Powder, I make my own, Tomato Paste may be substituted.
**** I deliberately made this dish Gluten free, Flour or corn Starch can bee added as a thickening agent , however, add it prior to adding Chicken stalk and stir it in.There you go, I have a few more Chicken Recipes in the works and will be finishing writing them out early next week. Chicken is a literal blank canvas for flavours from all over the world, I hope you enjoy today's recipe.
Have a wonderful day!
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