Chicken and Okra Stew
Description
I made this recipe for the first time about a week into my and Mr. Stone Soup Cook's Covid-19 quarantine and I was foraging around in my refrigerator and freezer to find provisions that I could press into service for us while I couldn't leave the house.
I usually have a chicken in the freezer, so I pulled it out and it became the base for several meals, including this one. I also usually have potatoes, carrots and onions in the house, but I happened to have a bag of okra that I had intended to use to make Indian food. Instead of making Indian food, I used them to make this wonderful, comforting stew.
After eating this stew, Mr. Stone Soup declared that had I made it earlier, we would have been well by now! Ha! Why yes, it is that good!
Ingredients
Instructions
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Chop carrots and potatoes, leaving the okra until shortly before you're going to add it to the stew:
Heat chicken stock into a 4-5 quart Dutch oven. Bring it to a gentle simmer.
In a 2 quart saucepan, melt the butter until it is hot and foamy, but not brown. Make roux by whisking constantly, add the flour a little at a time to avoid lumps.
Add chicken stock about a cup at a time to the roux, whisking constantly to avoid lump. After adding about 2 cups of stock to the roux, you should have a mixture about the consistency of a thick gravy.
Add the roux and stock mixture to the rest of the chicken stock in the Dutch oven, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Taste for seasoning and add accordingly.
Heat thickened chicken stock to a gentle boil and add the potatoes and carrots. Let simmer for about 15 minutes and add the chicken and okra:
Let simmer for another 10-15 minutes until okra is tender, but still a little firm for best flavor.
Serve with a nice merlot and some crusty French bread and fresh butter. This one is a keeper!
