French Country Chicken Stew

A stew typical of rural France. Good served with a crusty bread

• Ready In: 1 hr 45 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 4  lbs chicken pieces, skin on
• 1  teaspoon coarse salt
• 3  tablespoons flour
• 1  slice smoked bacon (1/4 inch thick)
• 1⁄2 cup  vegetable oil
• 1  medium onion, finely chopped
• 1  teaspoon white pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  crumbled dried tarragon
• 1 (8 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
• 1⁄2 cup dry white wine
• 1  chicken bouillon cube, broken into pieces
• 1 (8 ounce) package frozen green peas, thawed
• 3  medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch rounds
• 12  small  red potatoes
• 3  tablespoons flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
•  salt

Directions

1. Prepare the chicken but don't skin.
2. Salt the pieces and dredge them lightly in the flour, brushing off and saving the excess.
3. Trim off and discard the bacon rind.
4. Slice the bacon across the width into 1/4 pieces Heat the oil in a large kettle and brown the bacon lightly.
5. Remove and set aside.
6. Brown the chicken pices in batches, removing them as they finish browning.
7. Remove and discard all but 3 Tbs of the fat.
8. Add the onion, pepper, tarragon, and the remaining flour.
9. Scrape these back and forth in the hot fat until the onion is transparent.
10. Add the tomatoes and their juice and continue the scraping action until most of the juice has evaporated.
11. Add 1 1/2 cups of water, the wine, and the crumbled bouillon cube.
12. Add the bacon, chicken, peas, and carrots.
13. Cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes Scrub the new potatoes under cold water and pare off a one inch strip around the middle of each one, leaving the peel on the ends.
14. Add them to the stew and simmer for 20 minutes.
15. Stir in the parsley.
16. Salt to taste, and serve hot.