Chicken Stew With Shallots, Cider and Butternut Squash

A thick stew lightly spiced with curry, it goes well with rice and green salad. Hard cider is usually found in the beer section of your grocery store. You may also use nonalcholic sparkling dry cider make a good substitute.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 6
• Yields: 1 cup

Ingredients

• 4  teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 1  cup shallot, sliced
• 1  teaspoon curry powder
• 1⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1⁄4 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
• 3⁄4 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1  teaspoon salt, divided
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper, divided
• 2  cups hard alcoholic cider
• 1 (14 ounce) can  reduced-sodium fat-free chicken broth, divided
• 1  tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1  cup water
• 2  cups  butternut squash, peeled and cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1⁄4 cup  almonds, toasted
•  chopped fresh parsley (to garnish)

Directions

1. Heat 1 tspn oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat. Add shallots and saute 5 minutes or until tender & golden brown. Add curry powder; saute 1 minute. Spoon shallot mixture into a large bowl.
2. Place 1/3 cup flour in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess. Heat remaining 1 tblspn oil in pan over medium high heat. Add half of chicken mixture, sprinkle with 1/4 tspn salt and 1/8 tspn pepper. Cook 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Add browned chicken to shallot mixture. Repeat process with remaining chicken mixture, 1/4 tspn salt, 1/8 tspn pepper.
3. Add cider to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Combine 1 cup broth and 1 tblspn flour, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add broth mixture, remaining broth,and water; bring to a boil. Stir in chicken mixture, remaining 1/2 tspnn salt, and remaining 1/4 tspn pepper. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Stir in squash. Simmer, uncovered, 55 minutes or until chicken and squash are very tender, and sauce thickens. Spoon about 1 cup stew into each of 6 bowls; sprinkle each serving with 2 tspns almonds and parsley.