Bulk Chicken Stew with Bellair Leg Quarters
Make dinner, save a few quarts for the freezer, and/or give away to sick or convalescing friends. I (Amanda) am currently saving some for the freezer for postpartum.
Basic strategy is to cook chicken quarters in the instant pot until the meat pulls off the bone. Cook veggies in a separate large pot on the stove with chicken stock and spices. Combine them all together and let simmer on the stove until flavors combine.
Prepping chicken quarters
- approx 4.5 lb of chicken quarters
- 1 Tbsp butter or ghee
- salt & pepper
Thaw completely, and then separate the drumstick from the thigh (optional, but it makes the parts fit into the instant pot easier). Tap each piece dry with a paper towel and sprinkle salt & pepper on the skin side.
Heat up a cast iron on the stove and add butter or ghee. Brown each piece of chicken, skin side down before putting into the instant pot. Add a cup of water to instant pot. Lock in place and pressure cook (meat/stew setting) for 25 minutes ("keep warm" setting off). Let it depressurize naturally (about 20-30 min).
While the chicken is cooking, make veggie soup.
Veggie Soup Base
4 Tbsp butter/ghee
spices/seasoning of your choice -- I used a whole jar of thai kitchen green curry paste (I probably could have used two).
6 medium carrots
5 small/medium onions
8+ celery sticks/hearts
4-6 garlic cloves
3-4 potatoes
2 quarts of chicken stock/bone broth/water or a mix
Peel carrots & potatoes. Chop all veggies to the size of your choice -- I like mine about 1/2" pieces.
Melt butter/ghee in a large soup pot. I like to add my curry paste to the hot butter to warm it up, then add my onions, stirring occasionally. Then I gradually add each of the other veggies: celery, garlic, carrots, potatoes. Once the veggies have cooked/softened up a little and been totally covered in curry paste, I add the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and leave it covered on low while you pull your chicken.
Put it all together
When the chicken pieces have cooled a bit, you can pull very easily off the bone. I do take my time with this to carefully remove any small bone/cartilage pieces. Sometimes I add the liquid in the bottom of the instant pot to the soup pot -- there's excellent chicken fat/schmaltz in there! I also save the bones/skin/cartilage in a bag in the freezer for future bone broth making.
Add the pulled chicken to the veggie soup base and let it continue to simmer together on low. Taste and add more salt/spices as needed. I usually keep it pretty plain if it is intended for someone who is sick/recovering from illness or surgery.
This made approx 6 quarts of really nutrient dense stew!
