For lack of anything else better to post...

[telophase]

....here's a recipe that turned out to be delicious.

Mushroom and Chicken Stew with Dill and Paprika

Cook Time: 30-45min Servings: 4 Source: Mark Bittman, "How to Cook Everything Fast", p. 264


Note: directions in italics are prep, ideally done where they sit in the order of things. This is a thing Bittman did in this book, presumably to teach people how to prep while cooking to save time, but he often shows a rather optimistic sense of how long it takes me or myrialux to cut up an onion or whatever, so we prep everything ahead of time anyway.

3 tbsp butter
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
salt and pepper
1.5 lb button, cremini, or shiitake mushrooms
1 medium onion
2 tsp paprika
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock, or water
1 bunch fresh dill
1/2 cup cream, sour cream, or yogurt

Put 3 tablespoons butter in a large pot over low heat.

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.

When the butter starts to foam, raise the heat to medium-high, add the chicken to the pot, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is not pink on any side, 5 to 10 minutes.

Trim and quarter the mushrooms. (If using shiitakes, discard their stems.)
Trim and peel the onion; cut it into small chunks.

Transfer the browned chicken to a bowl with a slotted spoon.

Add the mushrooms and onions to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally until they soften, 5 to 10 minutes.

Add 2 teaspoons paprika and a sprinkle of salt and pepper and cook, stirring until fragrant, less than 1 minute.

Add 1 tablespoon flour and cook, stirring occasionally, until it toasts a bit, 3 to 5 minutes.

Return the chicken to the pot along with 3 cups of stock or water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the broth is thick and the chicken is fully cooked, 3 to 5 minutes.

Strip 1/4 cup dill leaves from the stems and chop.

Adjust the heat to medium-low, and add the dill and 1/2 cup cream, sour cream, or yogurt. Stir until well combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning and serve right away.

Notes from the Source:
- Goes well over buttered noodles or rice

Comments

[yhlee]

Ooooh. I bet this would be good even if one omitted the mushrooms! (Since Joe and I are wimps about mushrooms - it's a texture thing. XD ) Thank you for sharing the recipe!

[telophase]

Yes! I'd consider bulking it out with cut-up potatoes or another veg like that, but if you don't, I think it really should be served over rice or noodles, otherwise you end up with a really thin soup-with-chunks-in. Which, if you like that, is great!

Anyway, I ate it both with and without being poured over rice and found I preferred it over rice. myrialux liked both ways.

[movingfinger]

I think he calls for a lot of liquid in this---it's essentially paprikash and that should have a thick sauce to be served over things. The liquid can probably be scaled back to 2 C max. If potato is added, that will help thicken it a bit.

[telophase]

That makes sense--I bet Bittman was trying to make it into a soup that can be quickly cooked, given that the rice or noodles serving suggestion wasn't in the primary recipe section but tossed in as an aside. myrialux likes it because he likes brothy soups like chicken noodle, I expect, but I usually prefer thicker soups.

[movingfinger]

You can swap in a couple of small potatoes (like 6-8 oz) cut in cubes, or red bell pepper can work too (though it makes the dish overall sweeter). Also, if you like mushroom flavor but don't like the texture, you can blitz dried ones (porcini are good for this) and add a small amount of the powder to whatever it is you're making. That gives you the earthiness without the pieces.

[watersword]

This sounds delicious. Perfect winter food.

[telophase]

Leftovers held up well, too. We had a package of 1.5 pounds of chicken and it ended up making 5 servings instead of 4.

[sartorias]

That sounds yummy (minus the mushrooms)

[telophase]

I recommend it!