Greek Chicken Stew over Quinoa
My friend Jon introduced me to this dish back when I lived next door to him in Pasadena. It was an instant hit in our house, and I've made it a zillion times since with as many variations. With slow-cooked and tender chicken, olives, vegetables, and a tangy tomato base...it's a real comfort food. This dish is another where I'm often asked for the recipe. Besides tasting great, it's easy to make in large batches (I usually double the recipe), even better the next day, and freezes nicely.
The stew base is a mirepoix. "Mirepoix" sounds ultra fancy, but it's simply the French reference to the chopped and sauteed combination of onions, celery, and carrots. It's the base of so many soups, stews, and sauces in many classic cuisines that people also call it "the holy trinity." Trader Joe's carries mirepoix, chopped and ready in the produce section. The chopping is not difficult if you do it yourself, but using the ready-to-use mirepoix makes this recipe even easier. The recipe is a little longer than my usual, but well worth it!
Greek Chicken Stew
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3 breasts)
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
3 cups mirepoix (1 chopped onion, 1 cup chopped celery, 1 cup thinly sliced carrots)
1 tsp garlic (or 1 frozen cube garlic)
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomato (regular or fireroasted)
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 (12 oz) jar pitted kalamata olives, drained
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Combine the flour, salt, pepper, and oregano. Coat the chicken pieces with this mixture.
3) Heat a pan with 1 Tbsp oil. Brown the chicken breasts on both sides, and then transfer the chicken breasts to a deep baking dish or casserole (I used a 9x13-inch pan), drizzled with 1 Tbsp oil. Sprinkling remaining flour mixture over the chicken breasts.
4) Add 1 Tbsp oil to the same pan and saute the onions, celery, and carrots. Stir often and cook until the onion is soft, adding the garlic during the last few minutes.
5) Add the diced tomatoes (including juices), tomato paste, broth, wine, and olives. Stir well, and bring to a simmer for a few minutes. Pour this mixture over the chicken.
6) Cover tightly with a lid or with foil, and bake for up to 2 hours. The chicken will be cooked after the first 40 minutes, but the longer baking time will meld the sauce and give it that long cooked quality.
7) Serve over quinoa, basmati rice, or noodles.
I really want to try this. Can I ask what kind of white wine I should use? Does it matter? I'm not much of a wine expert.
Reply to this
In general, when a recipe calls for a "dry white wine" but doesn't specify a particular wine, you're safe going with a Sauvignon Blanc. A Chardonnay is also ok, but avoid the oakey ones.
Pick a wine you like to drink. For one, you'll need to finish the bottle anyway. And second, if it's not enjoyable enough to drink, then don't use it in your cooking.
If you're a Julia Childs fan, you might remember that she was a big advocate of using a dry white vermouth instead of a dry white wine. The advantage is that it works and it lasts a really long time (where wine doesn't). On the other hand, vermouth is made with a lot of herbs and botanicals, so it might contribute other flavors.
Reply to this
I tried this dish last night. We had it with rice. It was amazing. My husband was shocked that I actually made it myself. I'll have to take your word that it's better the next day since we didn't have any leftovers! I'd love more baked recipes like this one.
Reply to this
I made this dish and it was delicious. I added sliced mushrooms and a little extra wine. So tasty and tender! Thanks for sharing it.
Reply to this
Made this last night and it was great! It reminds me of the Chicken Cacciatore that my husband grew up on and is always asking for. We love garlic in our household, so I used 4 cloves (equiv of 4 tsp) and it wasn't too garlicky, so if you like garlic like us, don't be shy about adding more. Also, I didn't have canned tomatoes so I chopped up some fresh tomatoes I had on hand. Such a versatile dish!
Reply to this
when do you add the olives? with the tomatoes?
Reply to this
Yes, add the olives with the tomatoes - all in step #5 - thanks for catching that!
Reply to this
Wow, I never knew that Greek Chicken Stew over Quinoa. That’s pretty interesting...
Reply to this
I made this dish for guests. It turned out well. I love that its prepared in advance and has no hard and fast done time so you can go with the flow. I served it over Basmati rice.
Reply to this
Looks really yummy. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Reply to this
oh man, i just made this again and used zucchini (two zucchini, in half-moon slices, added with the mirepoix) and it was really great. gave it a little more veggie bulk.
Reply to this
If I didn't see the picture, I'm not sure I would have tried it based on just the recipe - but that looks delicious. Off to the store!
Reply to this
Have you done this recipe using a slow cooker? I might try it that way. Let me know if you have any pointers!
Reply to this
I made this last night and boy was it tasty! We also topped it off with some feta cheese and it was soooo good!
A couple of things I would do differently for next time:
1. Double the broth mixture - this is just a personal preference. My husband and I like things a bit more saucy and we like to finish off our meals by dipping some good bread into the broth.
2. Cut olives in half. I used good quality fresh olives. A little goes a a long way.
3. Add chick peas.
I am so excited to make this again!
Reply to this