Georgina Hayden’s Cypriot chicken stew
The temperature outside is dropping, but Georgina Hayden is warming us up with this simple stew recipe. A Greek-Cypriot classic, her comforting ‘Stifado’ with tender chicken, potatoes and plenty of fresh herbs is a hearty dish for the whole family to enjoy.
Cypriot chicken stew
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
500g baby onions600g waxy potatoes or new potatoesOlive oil, for cooking750g chicken thighs, bone in and skin on1⁄2 tsp ground allspice 2 tbsp tomato purée 175ml white wine400ml beef or chicken stock2 tbsp wine vinegar 2-3 sprigs of thyme or oregano2 bay leaves1 cinnamon stick 4 cloves3 ripe tomatoesSea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Preheat your oven to 160°C/gas mark 3.
2. Peel the onions, keeping them whole if possible (you can do this by pouring boiling water over them to help peel away the skin). Scrub the potatoes and cut into large chunks, around 4 cm big, and set aside. If using new potatoes, leave them whole.
3. Place a large casserole dish on a medium heat and drizzle in a good few tablespoons of olive oil. Season the chicken thighs and place in the pan to brown on all sides, then remove to a plate and set aside.
4. Add the peeled onions to the casserole dish and fry for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften. Stir in the ground allspice and tomato purée, and fry for a minute, then add the white wine and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat a little and leave it bubbling to reduce the wine. After 5-10 minutes, the wine should have halved.
5. Next, pour in the stock and vinegar, and add the thyme or oregano sprigs, bay leaves, cinnamon stick and cloves.
6. Chop the tomatoes and add them to the casserole with the browned chicken, potatoes and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Bring everything to the boil, then cover with a lid and transfer the casserole to the oven. Cook for 1 hour and 15 mins, or until the meat is tender and falling apart (you can also do this on the hob over a low heat).
7. When the meat is tender, remove the lid and the bay leaves and cook for a further 15 minutes uncovered. Keep an eye on the liquid, and make sure it doesn’t dry out, adding a splash of water if needed.
8. When it is ready, taste and tweak the seasoning, adding a little more vinegar if it needs it.