Chicken Stew with Cider, Butternut Squash, and Shallots (or, the perfect fall meal.)

Tuesday, September 18, 2012 by Marianne 3 Comments

I am really surprised I’ve never posted this recipe as it is one of our absolute favorites. It’s one of those recipes that is just so perfectly fall, and preparing – and eating – it is one of the things I anticipate every September.

The stew has layers of flavors, starting with some lightly curried shallots…

Moving on to some browned chicken pieces…

The pan is deglazed with some hard cider…

And then the shallots and chicken are added back to the pot with some butternut squash and broth to simmer away nicely.

Once the stew is done simmering, it is topped with some toasted almonds and fresh parsley. It plays well with egg noodles (our favorite,) rice, or bread.

Chicken Stew with Cider, Butternut Squash, and Shallots
Adapted from Cooking Light – link to the original recipe, I’ve streamlined some bits over the years.

• Olive oil
• 1 cup sliced shallots
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• Dash of chipotle chili powder
• Dash of sage
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts and/or thighs cut into pieces
• Salt
• Pepper
• Fermented Dry Cider – see note
• Chicken broth or stock – see note
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2.5 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1.5
• pounds)
• 3/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• Chopped fresh parsley

Note: You will need 38 oz. of liquid total. I don’t normally drink hard cider so I usually buy a 22 oz. bottle to use in this recipe. If that’s what I have, I use the entire bottle and then use 16 oz. of chicken broth. If I have a smaller bottle of cider, I’ll use that and increase the amount of broth.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add shallots; sauté 5 minutes or until tender and golden brown. Add curry and chipotle chili powders and sage; sauté 1 minute. Spoon shallot mixture into a large bowl. I add the shallots to the same bowl as my cubed squash.

Place 1/3 cup flour in a shallow bowl, pie plate, or ziploc baggie. Dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess. Heat oil (as needed to cook the chicken) in pan over medium-high heat. Add half of chicken mixture; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Cook 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Add browned chicken to shallot mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken mixture, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

Add cider to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Combine broth and 1 tablespoon flour, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add broth mixture and bring to a boil. Stir in chicken/shallot/squash mixture, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes more or until chicken and squash are very tender and sauce thickens. Serve in bowls (over rice or noodles is great,) topped with toasted almonds and parsley.

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