Stewed Chicken with Sausages and Leek

The cold weather has been making me drowsy lately, especially in the morning when I believe everybody is having a hard time getting off the warm, cozy blanket. Unfortunately sleepy is not the only side effect. I tend to cook less when the temperature drops, perhaps my internal clock is telling me it's time to hibernate instead of running around in the kitchen.

As a solution, I've decided to make a pot of stewed chicken with sausages and leek, which should last me a few meals. No more cooking until I can see the bottom of the pot again. In the meantime, sofa and remote control will be my best friends, we'll get through the winter together!

Stewed chicken with sausages and leek -

Ingredients?

1 lb of chicken thigh
1 stalk of leek
1 zucchini
15 button mushrooms
3 Roman tomatoes
3 spicy chicken sausages
6 garlic cloves
1/2 large onion
1 teaspoon of dried red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons of olive oil
Some sea salt
Some flat leaf parsley or cilantro
2/3 cup of low sodium chicken stock
2/3 cup of dry white wine

How?

Chop the chicken into large bite sizes and the sausages into small cubes. Remove the stems and quartered the mushrooms. Chop the tomatoes into regular bite sizes. Chop the onion into large chunks.

Remove the very tip stem from the zucchini and peel thoroughly. Halve the zucchini length-wise then chop into bite sizes.  Peel and finely chop the garlic cloves.

Remove the stem from the leek, about 1 inch in length. Thoroughly rinse each layer and pat dry. Also chop into bite size pieces.

Drizzle some olive oil into a deep pan or a deep pot. Add in chopped onion along with 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Give it a quick stir and cook till the onion starts to burn slightly, about 5 minutes.

Add in chopped garlic and some chili flakes. Cook a little bit longer to release the aroma from the garlic, but pay attention not to burn the garlic.

Add in the leek then stir, cook for about 2 more minutes.

Transfer the chicken and sausage pieces into the pan, sear for about 5 minutes. Add in the mushrooms, zucchini, and some more salt to flavor the ingredients. Cook till the zucchini softens then add in the tomatoes and a small pinch of dried Italian seasoning. Stir the mixture and cook about 2 more minutes.

Pour in both the white wine and chicken stock. Bring to a boil then lower the heat a little bit to keep it simmer. Cook till the sauce has been reduced by about 1/3 or half. Takes approximately 30 minutes.

Sprinkle or garnish the stew with some chopped parsley or cilantro right before serving.

This stew can be enjoyed with both rice and noodles. If serving with pasta, just heat up the stew with a small pot, maybe at a little bit more seasoning such as Tabasco and grated cheese. Pour over the pasta and sprinkle some chopped parsley or cilantro to freshen up the flavor.

Other stew recipes:
My version of langue de boeuf a la bourguignonne
Beef stew Vietnamese style