Oven-baked Chicken stew

## Deliciously Comforting Oven-Baked Chicken Stew

Oven-baked Chicken stew

Today, I chose to prepare a dish inspired by Djuvec, though not following the traditional recipe. I have selected ingredients that provide an exceptional taste and aroma. This dish is so delightful that it will leave you wanting more. I have combined the ingredients according to my preferences, and I am confident you will enjoy it as well. The aroma is so enticing that it fills the entire house. For this meal, you will need rice, potatoes, chicken thighs, tomato pesto or concentrate, broth, chili pepper, cumin, turmeric, oregano, and parsley. You likely already have the remaining ingredients at home. Let's proceed with the recipe together. Follow recipe.

Ingredients: simple, total time: 90 min. 4-6 serving

For the Stew:

2 Tbsp of Olive oil EVO
800 g chicken thighs/ or drumsticks or chicken breast
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp of ground smoked paprika
chili powder/ as desired — optional
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp of turmeric
3 cloves of garlic/ minced
1/2 large onion/ cut into ribs
1/2 fresh chili pepper — for a hot version, chopped — optional
2 long green peppers/ or 1 big green bell pepper, cut into long pieces 3 cm wide
200 g of peeled new potatoes/ or small potatoes, cut in half
250 ml chicken stock
2 full Tbsp of tomato purée + 250 ml water/ or 250 ml tomato paste
oregano and fresh parsley leaves / chopped — to taste
1/2 lemon juice/ as you like — it is optional

For Rice:

Preparation:

Preparation ingredients:

First, prepare all the ingredients as described above.
The chicken thighs, trim off any excess fat from the inside and trim off excess skin. I left a small part of the skin because it gives a good taste to this dish.
If you use drumsticks or white meat, cut them into longer pieces 3 cm thick.
Cut all the vegetables as described above.
Wash the rice several times under cold water, until the milky liquid comes out, strain it well-leave it in a colander.
Prepare the broth, you will need 850 ml for rice and stew. You can use chicken, beef, or vegetable soup cubes.
When you have prepared everything, start preparing the potatoes and rice.

Potato and rice:

Cook the potatoes in boiling water for about 10 minutes, until they are slightly soft. Drain and set aside.
Fry half the finely chopped onion in a small pan with very little oil until soft. Add the drained rice and stir for about 2 minutes, pour all chicken broth — cook to low heat, until the rice is puffed about 20–23 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
When it is ready, sprinkle with parsley. Set aside and cover.

Chicken meat and Vegetables:

Heat the oil in a large pan.
Season chicken thighs or diced chicken with: salt, pepper, smoked paprika, turmeric, and cumin. (If you want it spicy, add chili in this.)
Fry chicken thighs to low to moderate heat, about for 10–15 minutes each side, until the meat gets a nice color. When they are done, transfer them to the plate.
In a same wok pan add the onion cut on ribs, fry about 5 minutes until softened to low moderate heat.
Add the sliced pepper, fry about 7 minutes, with stirring occasionally.
After passing time, add chopped garlic and chili pepper, stir until fragrant.
Immediately add the broth and cook for about 7 minutes, until soft. Cover wok pan.
Stir in the tomato purée and lemon juice as you like (it is optional), add the potatoes and stir well. Cook for about 15 minutes. In the meantime, season with salt and pepper and add oregano and parsley leaves to taste, turn off the heat.
Grease an 18×30 cm baking dish, transfer the chicken pieces with their sauce to the dish and arrange them.
Transfer everything to an ovenproof dish, spread the potatoes and peppers in the sauce over the chicken pieces.
Sprinkle with fresh parsley leaves. And gently stir.
Turn on the oven to 180 °C with fan.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 30–35 minutes, until the sauce thickens and the potatoes and meat soften.
Serve warm this dish with herbed rice and sauce, sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Buon appetito!

NOTE:

In this recipe, I used chicken thighs and cleaned them of fat and part of the skin that was hanging on the side. I left a part of the skin because it gives a good taste to this dish.
You can use chicken white meat as well as drumsticks instead of chicken thighs.
Instead of broth, you can use regular water if you want.
I also used beef broth and tomato paste "Mutti" for the sauce, which give a fantastical taste!
I chose smaller potatoes for this dish, I needed about 6 smaller ones and 1 medium one.
I deliberately decided green pepper with this dish, because it is rich in vitamin C.
Keep the rest of the food covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
You can pack this dish in special freezer boxes and keep it for up to 2 months. Take out one day before preparation. Heat in the oven or microwave.