By Martha Rose Shulman
- Total Time
- 2 hours, plus overnight refrigeration
- Rating
- 4(327)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This is a wonderful do-ahead chicken dish. Look for free-range, humanely raised chicken; you can now find free-range chicken already cut up and skinned. When I tested this recipe, I bought one package of thighs, one of drumsticks and one of breasts (which I cut in half). I had 16 pieces of chicken, enough for eight very generous servings. Marinate the chicken the day before you make this dish, and make it at least one day ahead through step 3 so that you can easily skim off the chicken fat. And if you want to make it for a smaller group, just halve the quantities.
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Ingredients
Yield:8 to 10 servings
- 4¼pounds cut up chicken (drumsticks, thighs, breasts - 16 pieces), skinned
- ½cup Pernod or Pastis (anise flavored aperitif)
- Salt
- freshly ground pepper to taste
- 2generous pinches saffron threads
- 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2medium onions, sliced
- 2medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 2stalks celery, diced
- 6large garlic cloves, minced
- 1(14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with liquid
- 1teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed in a mortar and pestle
- A bouquet garni made with a bay leaf and a couple of sprigs each thyme and rosemary
- 1quart chicken or turkey stock
- 1½pounds Yukon gold or new potatoes, scrubbed and sliced
- ½pound green beans, trimmed and broken in half
- A handful of chopped fresh parsley
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)
602 calories; 36 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 16 grams monounsaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 37 grams protein; 1122 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Cut chicken breasts in half for smaller pieces. Season all of the chicken with salt and pepper, and toss in a very large bowl with one pinch of the saffron and the Pernod or Pastis. Transfer the chicken pieces to a large resealable bag, pour in the liquid from the bowl and seal the bag. Place the bag in a bowl, and refrigerate overnight. If possible, move the chicken around in the bag from time to time.
Step
2
Remove the chicken from the marinade, and pat dry with paper towels. Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, and add 1 tablespoon of the oil. When the oil is hot, working in batches, brown the chicken on all sides, about five minutes per batch. Remove to a baking sheet or bowl.
Step
3
Heat a large, heavy casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat, and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring often until they soften, about five minutes. Add the carrots and celery and a generous pinch of salt, and cook, stirring, until tender and fragrant, five to eight minutes. Stir in the garlic, cook for another minute until fragrant, and then add the tomatoes, thyme and salt to taste. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes. Add the dark meat pieces to the pot, along with any juice that has accumulated in the bowl or sheet pan. Add the crushed fennel seeds, the stock, bouquet garni and potatoes, and bring to a simmer. Season to taste. Add the remaining pinch of saffron, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add the breast meat pieces, and simmer another 30 minutes. Check to see that the potatoes are tender. If they are not, simmer for another 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. If serving the next day (recommended), use tongs to transfer the chicken pieces to a bowl, and cover tightly. Remove the bouquet garni and discard. Refrigerate the chicken and the broth with the vegetables overnight, and skim off the fat from the surface of the broth the next day. Return the chicken to the pot to reheat.
Step
4
While the chicken is simmering, or while reheating, blanch the beans for five minutes in a medium pot of boiling salted water. Transfer to the chicken stew. Taste and adjust seasonings. Stir in the parsley and serve in wide soup bowls.
Tip
- Advance preparation: This benefits from being made at least one day ahead and will keep for three or four days. It is best to cook the beans shortly before reheating.Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com.
Ratings
4
out of 5
327
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Cooking Notes
mbk
Loved by french friends!
I added the marinade to the pot after browning chicken (why waste Pastis?) and chugged a bit more in at the end. Maybe the healthy sign goes away ;-).
Also used 4 bulbs of fennel, sliced thickly (added with potatos), instead of green beans.
TLG
Skipped the marinade step, and browned the chicken in a cast iron pot, wiped it out, and used the hot pot to cook the rest of the dish. Used only chicken leg/thighs, which reduced total cook time to 40 min. Sliced the potatoes pretty thin and added them in for last 10 min of cooking. Also, based on other reviews, added sliced fennel bulb at the same time as adding carrots and celery. Fennel compensated for the flavor missed by not marinating. Loved the flavor of the broth! Will make again!!
Nancy
too much anise flavor for me, next time I would cut back on the Pernod, or leave out the fennel seeds.
lcg
This is one of my favorite recipes by Martha Rose Shulman. I tend to read other users’ notes on NYT Cooking, so I use a few suggestions I’ve read here & it comes out incredible every time. Since I make this always day-of, I skip the marinade step, brown the chicken, & cook the vegetables in the fat in the pan. I sub pastis with one bulb of fennel, which I soften along with the onions. Saffron added at the simmering point. To save an extra pot I throw in the green beans 10 min before serving.
sheila
Made with 5.5 lbs chicken pieces, browned skin on in same Dutch oven as remaining ingredients. Browned bits added wonderful flavor to the broth. Added some sliced fennel with the carrots and celery and used a quart and a half of stock. Used the two day method and removed chicken from bones and shredded before skimming and reheating everything together. Didn’t blanch green beans. Lovely, nuanced and layered flavors. 32 oz of tomatoes would have been fine. Also used cauliflower instead of potatoes
SharonATX
This was wonderful. I browned the chicken in the dutch oven and then just added the veggies from there. There wasn't much fat after the overnight refrigeration, but it did help the flavors meld, and I deboned and shredded the chicken before putting it back in the stew. Would use a bit more stock next time. Great for make-ahead and a crowd!
Nichole
Meant to make this as stated over a couple days but ended up not marinating and making it all in one go. Deeply browned the chicken skin and pulled it, sautéed the vegetables with fennel as others have done, and then deglazed with Pastis, and veggies still in the pan. Followed the recipe as written from there. It BARELY fit my 5qt Le Cruset braiser. It was delicious. Leftovers in the fridge have very limited fat on top, looking forward to eating them.
Juliebythesea
Making this again. We love the flavor. I marinate at least a day, then cook and reserve for a couple of days and reheat, may try the "shredding the chicken technique" this time too. I will add the sliced fennel bulb to the sautéed veggies this time, I love fennel. This is a great recipe
lcg
This is one of my favorite recipes by Martha Rose Shulman. I tend to read other users’ notes on NYT Cooking, so I use a few suggestions I’ve read here & it comes out incredible every time. Since I make this always day-of, I skip the marinade step, brown the chicken, & cook the vegetables in the fat in the pan. I sub pastis with one bulb of fennel, which I soften along with the onions. Saffron added at the simmering point. To save an extra pot I throw in the green beans 10 min before serving.
Chris
I’m not sure why directions say to brown the chicken in a separate skillet — you lose all the good juices from the chicken that way.
SharonATX
This was wonderful. I browned the chicken in the dutch oven and then just added the veggies from there. There wasn't much fat after the overnight refrigeration, but it did help the flavors meld, and I deboned and shredded the chicken before putting it back in the stew. Would use a bit more stock next time. Great for make-ahead and a crowd!
carolb
We found this to be very bland, perhaps because my homemade chicken stock didn’t have much salt. We reheated the leftovers with a few tablespoons of mole rojo, brought home from a recent trip to Oaxaca, which improved the taste immensely.
Sarah
Delicious! Followed the recipe, marinading day 1, steps 2-3 day 2, finishing and serving day 3. The only thing this is missing is instructions to serve with crusty bread and garlic aioli. This should not be skipped! Wonderful make ahead meal!
sheila
Made with 5.5 lbs chicken pieces, browned skin on in same Dutch oven as remaining ingredients. Browned bits added wonderful flavor to the broth. Added some sliced fennel with the carrots and celery and used a quart and a half of stock. Used the two day method and removed chicken from bones and shredded before skimming and reheating everything together. Didn’t blanch green beans. Lovely, nuanced and layered flavors. 32 oz of tomatoes would have been fine. Also used cauliflower instead of potatoes
Meg
My go to recipe for a crowd.
EMC
How would you adapt this for crockpot cooking?
Edelson-eubanks
The America's Test Kitchen cookbook, “Slow Cooker Revolution,” includes a recipe for chicken bouillabaisse on page 49. It's obviously not the same recipe, though. I have not as yet prepared it.
TLG
Skipped the marinade step, and browned the chicken in a cast iron pot, wiped it out, and used the hot pot to cook the rest of the dish. Used only chicken leg/thighs, which reduced total cook time to 40 min. Sliced the potatoes pretty thin and added them in for last 10 min of cooking. Also, based on other reviews, added sliced fennel bulb at the same time as adding carrots and celery. Fennel compensated for the flavor missed by not marinating. Loved the flavor of the broth! Will make again!!
mbk
Loved by french friends!
I added the marinade to the pot after browning chicken (why waste Pastis?) and chugged a bit more in at the end. Maybe the healthy sign goes away ;-).
Also used 4 bulbs of fennel, sliced thickly (added with potatos), instead of green beans.
Nancy
too much anise flavor for me, next time I would cut back on the Pernod, or leave out the fennel seeds.
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