White Bean Stew with Chicken Thighs and Vegetables

How to prepare the beans

1. Beans with chicken and vegetables are best made with white beans. Red beans or mottled varieties color such dishes strongly. You can always find good white beans; these varieties, although different, usually grow in any region.

2. Soak and boil the beans. The beans must be soaked overnight beforehand, otherwise they are hard to cook. Cover the soaked beans with cold water and put the pot on the heat. Cook the beans at a low simmer, without covering the pot, until they are completely done and soft. The total cooking time for white beans turns out to be a bit shorter than for red or mottled ones, usually from 15 mins to 1 hour. Drain the cooked beans in a colander, then transfer them to a bowl and cover it with a plate.

   

3. Steep the saffron if you want to give the dish a pleasant yellow tint. Pour boiling water over a pinch of saffron or marigold petals in a cup, let it steep for 5 mins and strain. Rice in Valencian paella, or a simple rice side dish, gets colored in much the same way.

How to fry the chicken and vegetables

1. Depending on the season, the dish can be made with different vegetables. Carrots, onions and potatoes are usually available all year round. In autumn it is good to add other root vegetables, such as celeriac and parsnip, and, if possible, the fleshy stalks of green celery. I deliberately did not chop the chicken or cut it into pieces, as is done for a stew. I decided that a whole chicken thigh served with the vegetable and bean stew would make a combined dish: a vegetable side with beans and braised chicken.

   

2. Fry the chicken thighs. Wash them and remove the skin and any remaining fat; the bone can stay in. Heat the vegetable oil in a deep frying pan and fry the thighs over medium heat on both sides until lightly browned. There is no need to fry them until done. Transfer the fried thighs to a separate dish and set aside for now.

   

3. Fry the carrot, parsnip and celery. Peel the carrot and the parsnip root and dice them, and cut the celery stalk into larger pieces. Mix the cut vegetables and fry them for 4-5 mins in the oil left from frying the chicken. Fry the vegetables over medium heat, without covering the pan, and stir from time to time so they brown evenly.

   

4. Peel the onion, cut it into strips and add it to the vegetables. Keep frying until the onion is soft.

   

5. Add the potatoes and seasonings. Peel the potatoes and cut them into fairly small cubes. When the onion and vegetables have turned soft, add the cut potatoes.

   

   Fry the potatoes and vegetables for 3-4 mins, then add salt and pepper, a little ground coriander and thyme. By the way, the dish will taste much better with a little sugar, at most 0.5 tsp.

How to simmer the stew

1. Add the cooked beans to the stew and stir carefully so you do not damage the tender beans. Peel the garlic, chop it finely with a knife and add it to the vegetables and beans.

   

2. Lay the fried chicken thighs on the vegetables with the beans, pour in 2 cups of hot water (400 ml) and add the saffron infusion. Cover the pan with a lid and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting at which the liquid still boils, and simmer until the potatoes are done. This usually takes 20-25 mins. It is worth adding 10 mins so that the potatoes do not just cook through but start to break down and fall apart in the dish, creating a sauce.

   

   How thick the dish is is up to you. If it is too thin, take off the lid and let the extra liquid evaporate.

3. At the very end, add more salt and pepper, strictly to taste.

Serving

1. Put the beans with chicken into deep soup bowls or other suitable dishes. Be sure to sprinkle the dish with very finely chopped greens: parsley and dill.

   

2. Serve the beans with chicken and vegetables hot, without waiting for them to cool. The flavor goes very well with fresh white bread, especially homemade wheat bread.