Aunt Aster's Chicken Stew

I love chicken stew, especially made by dear late Aunt Aster. She is one fantasic cook with a very adorably cute stern face :P I just love to tease her and see her trying her best not to laugh :)

Eileen made this dish just like Aunt Aster and I've been trying to get it right for quite a long time but somehow there is always something missing. After all the trials & errors, finally.....I managed to get it right this time :)

The stew is really nice and it can be eaten as a one pot dish if you add more potatoes but I just like it with my white rice.

The most daunting task in the past was the 1st step of frying the cinnamon quill as it will cause the oil to start singing...a sound that will make me run miles away! Now with my Happycall, I'm certainly Happy as I can quickly shut the pan and let the "singing" rest inside the pan! How marvelous!! hehehe

Here is the recipe for you to share. The aroma of this stew is simply heavenly and the cinnamon added a really warm touch which definitely greatly enhanced the flavour of the chicken.

Chicken Stew

Happycall Ocher Pan or Slow Cooker
Servces 3

Ingredients:

½ Chicken, skinned & chopped to bite size pieces
1 Chicken Breast with bone, skinned & chopped to bite size pieces
10 New potatoes, skinned & halved
1 Large Onions, peeled and cut into quarters
2 Carrots, skinned and cut into wedges
2 cups Water (add more if you want more sauce)
1 Chicken stock cube
1/2 tsp Peppercorns
2 tbsps Cooking oil
5cm (2 in) Cinnamon quill
1 Tomatoes, quartered
2 Tbsps Cooking Oil
2 Tbsps Plain Flour

Marinade

1.5 Tbsp Soy sauce
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1 Tbsp Corn Flour

Seasoning

2 Tbsps Dark soy sauce (Add more if you like your stew to be darker in colour)
1 tsp Salt
2 Tbsps Plain flour
1 Cup Water

Directions:

1. Marinate the chicken for overnight or least 3 hours before cooking.
   
2. Heat up HCP and spread 1 Tbsp of cooking oil around the pan. Add Cinnamon quills and close the pan for 2 mins.
   
3. Coat Chicken Pieces with flour and pan-fry the Chicken pieces until golden brown on all side. Set aside chicken pieces & leave cinnamon quill in the pan.
   
4. Add 1 Tbsp of Cooking Oil.
   
5. Add in Onions, Potatoes, Carrots and stir slightly. Close the pan for 2 mins.
   
6. Flip the pan & grill for another 2 mins. After 2 mins, flip the pan back.
   
7. Put in water, chicken stock cube and peppercorns in HCP. Close the pan and bring to the boil for 5-8 minutes.
   
8. Mix seasoning ingredients in a bowl and add to pan
   
9. Stir and let simmer until chicken is tender, about 30 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
   
10. Remove from heat and serve.
    

Tips – the longer you cook the better it will be J