Cozy Chicken Stew
 
 
Serves: 6-8 servings
Ingredients
  • 2½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, fat trimmed
  • kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons ghee or clarified butter
  • 2 onions, finely diced
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
  • ⅓ cup white whole wheat flour
  • ½ dry white wine
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 pound red potatoes, about 3-4 medium, scrubbed and chopped into ½-inch pieces
  • 4 carrots, peeled, and sliced into ¼-inch pieces
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 bunch kale, stems removed and coarsely chopped
  • Cooked egg noodles, polenta, or rice
  • chopped fresh parsley and crushed red pepper for serving
Instructions
  1. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in a large skillet over medium high-heat. Add half the chicken to skillet and brown on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a bowl or rimmed plate and set aside. Add another tablespoon of ghee and repeat with remaining chicken. Transfer to bowl.
  2. In the same skillet, heat ½ tablespoon of ghee over medium high heat. Add the onions, garlic, tomato paste, and thyme and continually stir and cook until tomato paste begins to darken and onions are soft, about 7-10 minutes. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir for another minute to evenly coat the vegetables. Gradually whisk in the wine and then 1 cup of the broth, scraping up any browned bits. Transfer mixture to slow cooker.
  3. Also in the same skillet, heat the remaining ½ tablespoon of ghee over medium high heat. Add the potatoes and carrots and stir until carrots start to turn a bit glossy, about 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to slow cooker.
  4. Pour the remaining chicken broth into the slow cooker, add the bay leaves, and give a gentle stir with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken thighs to the soup and nestle them deep enough so that they are covered by liquid. Cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.
  5. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon. When cool enough to handle, shred chicken into bite-size pieces using 2 forks or your hands. Add the chicken back to the stew along with the kale. Cook for an additional 15-20 minutes or until kale is just wilted. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Ladle over bowls of egg noodles, polenta, or rice and serve with chopped fresh parsley and crushed red pepper.
Notes
To prepare this on the stove top, follow all of the directions above, but use a large pot or dutch oven instead of the slow cooker. Cook over low heat and reduce cooking time for chicken to 1½- 2 hours and stir occasionally.

adapted from America's Test Kitchen's Slow Cooker Revolution
Recipe by at https://dev.gatheranddine.com/cozy-chicken-stew/