South Carolina Style Chicken Stew

I first tried this when I moved to South Carolina and immediately fell in love with it. It is the best comfort food to have on a chilly day. We serve it with Texas Pete hot sauce here. If you have leftovers, either reheat a portion in a microwave oven, or very slowly on the stove top.

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 3 -4  boneless chicken breasts
• 1 (32 ounce) box  chicken stock
• 2  medium onions
• 2 (12 ounce) cans evaporated milk
• 8  tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

1. Remove the skin from the chicken breasts (or start with boneless skinless breasts) and place them in a dutch oven or a soup pot. Add the chicken stock and enough water to cover the breasts and have at least 3" of liquid over them.
2. Bring the liquid to a simmer and then poach the breasts for 15 minutes. Remove and set them aside until cool enough to handle.
3. While poaching the chicken, slice the onions in half "pole to pole" and cut off both the root and tail ends. Peel the onions. Slice the onions pole to pole into 1/4" slices.
4. Separate the onion slices and then add them to the liquid in the pot (the chicken has been removed by this time). Continue simmering to cook the onions until translucent.
5. When cool enough to handle slice the chicken breasts into 1" cubes. When the onions are done cooking add the chicken cubes back into the pot.
6. Add the evaporated milk.
7. Cut the butter into 1 T pieces and add to the pot and let it melt.
8. Do not boil the stew or the milk will separate!
9. Serve with hot sauce.