Chicken stew with rosemary and thyme from La Rioja

Not chicken Rioja style. This recipe hanos no chorizo, peppers or paprika. And we already know that these are typical and essential ingredients of the gastronomy of La Rioja. This recipe comes from Quel, a charming village in the fertile lowlands of the Cidacos. An arid and fertile land at the same time where thyme, rosemary and chamomile grow at home. A recipe that comes from that simple recipe book, to eat well after a good walk in the countryside looking for aromatic herbs away from the roads. A recipe that can be made in less than 1 hour. You just need to have a good loaf of bread nearby to avoid crying bitterly.

Ingredients for the chicken stew with rosemary and thyme:

chicken stew

A delicious chicken stew.

  • 8 chicken thighs
  • 1 onion
  • 8 cloves of garlic
  • 200 g of mushrooms (optional)
  • 1 glass of white wine from La Rioja
  • 1 glass of water
  • Salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme and oil

How to make the chicken stew with rosemary and thyme:

  1. In a beautiful saucepan, add enough olive oil to cover the bottom. Over medium-high heat, add the seasoned chicken thighs to brown them well. That is the only secret to this recipe.
  2. Once the chicken is well browned, remove it and add the finely chopped onion along with the garlic. Sauté with a pinch of salt until the onion is well poached. About 15 minutes will be enough.
  3. Add the chicken back to the pan along with the wine, water, rosemary and thyme (fresh if possible). In my case I prefer to add only the leaves of the aromatic herbs, to avoid the woody and hard parts of the dish.
  4. You can also add some mushrooms cut into large pieces if you want at this time. Yes, La Rioja is also a land of mushrooms.
  5. Leave over medium heat uncovered for 15 minutes so that the alcohol in the wine evaporates well. Finish cooking for another 15 minutes but this time covered.
  6. Once the stew is finished, taste the salt and correct if necessary.

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