There are dishes in the kitchens of various nations that are prepared very simply and easily, but this does not make their taste worse. Chicken stew with gravy is one such dish. It does not require exquisite ingredients, and any housewife is capable of preparing it, even not yet too experienced in home cooking. In addition, the chicken sauce, which is part of the composition, allows for many variations, so that you can always bring something new to your recipe. Well, let's try to cook?
Braised chicken with gravy. The recipe is basic
We will need: chicken carcass, rubbing salt, vegetable oil, two medium carrots, a pair of onions, a fresh bunch of basil, a bunch of parsley, a couple of tablespoons of wheat flour, a couple of cloves of garlic, spices to taste (the main thing - without sorting). It is better to take a chicken (broiler), not too big. And be sure to try not to buy frozen, but chilled. If the chicken stew with gravy is prepared from a frozen product, then it must first be gently thawed (for example, at room temperature in the kitchen).
We just cook
- Rinse the main product thoroughly. We cut the carcass into neat small pieces (it is allowed to purchase sliced parts, such as thighs or others, but it is especially tasty when white meat alternates with red).
- We put the prepared chicken in a large saucepan and fill it with clean water (about 2 liters will be enough). Bring to a boil, remove the heat and remove the foam. Idle for about an hour.
- At this time, fry chopped onions and carrots in a frying pan in vegetable oil (it is better to take olive, but you can also use ordinary, sunflower).
- We take out the chicken from the pan and transfer it to the cauldron (for his lack of it, you can use a deep frying pan with high edges). There is a little chicken broth (and the remaining in the pan can be used for soup later) and vegetables fried in a pan. To vegetables, you can add flour and a spoonful of tomato paste, spices and salt. Do not forget to mix. For spices, if you are unsure, use boldly ground pepper mixture, which is now popular. Just note that it already includes a certain amount of salt - do not overfill the dish. Such chicken sauce will give meat additional juiciness and softness.
- We extinguish the mass for another 15 minutes on the smallest fire (more can be done: for those who want to ensure that the meat melts in the mouth). Braised chicken with gravy is almost ready.
- Before readiness, add chopped herbs and garlic. Turn off the fire, cover with a lid and let it brew (another 15-20 minutes).
How to serve?
Braised chicken with gravy is served on the table as a full-fledged independent dish. As a side dish, you can use such simple cereals as rice or buckwheat, cooked crumbly. You can serve with mashed potatoes or cook boiled potatoes and a salad of fresh cucumbers and cabbage - it turns out very harmoniously, and sets off the chicken taste.
In a slow cooker
A stewed chicken with gravy in a slow cooker is prepared as easy as shelling pears. The main thing is the availability of the appliance in your kitchen. Next, we carry out all the preparatory steps with the ingredients (see the basic recipe). Pour a little lean oil into the bowl of the multicooker and lay the bird (by the way, try using the breast: it turns out very gently). Fry until half-cooked in the mode of "Frying" or "Baking" (up to 30 minutes on a timer). We introduce onions and carrots after this procedure. Fill with a spoon of tomato paste mixed with broth or water (or a glass of fresh tomato juice) so that the liquid almost covers the meat. Stew until cooked for another half hour. A good side dish will be young boiled potatoes, you can serve a salad of fresh vegetables and herbs, seasoned with olive oil and lemon juice. Do not forget to pepper and pour the cooked side dish with gravy.
Variations on a Theme
The most common variation is the replacement of tomato paste (if someone does not like this taste) with sour cream. You get a gorgeous white sauce with vegetables, which can be watered with a side dish. And you can serve the chicken as a separate dish, generously pouring it with a large amount of the mixture, in which it is convenient to dip fresh bread.