Chicken Lentil Stew
Bone-in chicken thighs seared hard, deglazed with marsala, then simmered with leeks, carrots, red potatoes and red lentils that collapse and thicken the pot on their own. Spinach and a splash of vinegar off the heat, parmesan at the table.
Ingredients
The Stew
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 small bone-in chicken thighs skin on, about 2 pounds
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt divided, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground celery seed do not double it, it turns bitter
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme whole, fished out later
- 1/2 cup dry marsala or dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 shallot minced
- 1 leek white and light green parts, sliced and rinsed well
- 2 large carrots chopped
- 2 medium red potatoes diced, waxy so they hold their shape
- 4 cups chicken stock low sodium
- 3/4 cup red lentils rinsed, no soaking
- 1 bay leaf
To Finish
- 3 ounces baby spinach about two large handfuls
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar off the heat, do not skip it
- 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan at the table, not stirred into the pot
Equipment
- Large pot or Dutch oven
Instructions
Sear the Chicken
- First, season the thighs on both sides with half the salt, the pepper and the celery seed. Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high, lay the thighs in skin side down and scatter the thyme sprigs around them.
- Cook for about 5 minutes a side, until the skin is properly browned. Pour in the marsala and let almost all of it cook away, then lift the chicken onto a plate and pull out the thyme stems.
Build the Base
- Next, lower the heat to medium and add the butter, shallot and leek with a pinch of salt. Cook until soft and sweet, about 4 minutes, scraping the browned material off the bottom as they release their moisture.
- Add the carrots and potatoes with another pinch of salt and cook for 5 minutes more.
Simmer with the Lentils
- Then add the stock, lentils and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Pull the skin off the chicken and discard it, and return the thighs to the pot along with any juices from the plate.
- Lower the heat and simmer partially covered for 20 to 25 minutes, until the lentils have collapsed into the broth and the thickest part of a thigh reads 175F. Remove the bay leaf.
Shred and Finish
- After that, lift the chicken out with tongs and shred the meat off the bones into bite-size pieces, discarding the bones. Return the meat to the pot with the spinach and stir until the leaves have wilted, about 2 minutes.
- Finally, take the pot off the heat, stir in the vinegar and taste for salt. Ladle into bowls and grate the parmesan over each one at the table.
Notes
The chicken finishes in the pot. Ten minutes of searing does not cook a bone-in thigh through. It goes back in, skin removed, and simmers with the lentils until it reads 175F, which is also what puts the gelatin from the bones into the broth.
Lentils: red or yellow only. Green, brown and beluga lentils hold their shape and will thicken nothing. With green lentils use a full cup and allow 35 minutes.
Celery seed: half a teaspoon, no more. It turns bitter above that.
Thickness: it sets further as it cools. Thin leftovers with stock rather than water.
Make-ahead: stop before the spinach and vinegar, then add both when reheating so the greens stay green. Keeps 4 days refrigerated and 3 months frozen.
Nutrition values are an estimate.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 545kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 720mg | Potassium: 840mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 5600IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 4mg