Tuscan Chicken Stew
A quick, creamy chicken stew with butter beans, two kinds of tomato, spinach, and Parmesan in a garlicky white-wine sauce.
This fast white stew builds slow-cooked depth in layers: hard searing gives the chicken colour, wine lifts the browned bits, and flour, stock, cream, and Parmesan turn into a silky sauce around hearty beans and vegetables.
Instructions
- 1
Toss the chicken pieces with the Italian herbs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Heat the olive oil over high heat in a 30 cm (12-inch) nonstick skillet until very hot.
- 2
Spread the chicken in the pan and leave it undisturbed for about 30 seconds until golden underneath. Stir, pausing for roughly 20 seconds between turns, until most surfaces are lightly browned; the centres may still be raw.
- 3
Reduce the heat to medium-high. Add the onion and garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring, until the onion softens.
2 min
- 4
Raise the heat to high, pour in the wine, and simmer rapidly for 1–2 minutes until reduced by half. Stir in the flour until no dry patches remain.
1 min
- 5
Slowly pour in about one-third of the broth while stirring; it will thicken quickly. Stir in the remaining broth, drained beans, and sun-dried tomatoes until the sauce is smooth.
- 6
Bring to a simmer, then adjust to medium or medium-high for steady, gentle bubbles. Cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7 min
- 7
Add the cherry tomatoes, cream, and Parmesan. Stir and simmer for 8 minutes, until the sauce reduces to a gravy-like consistency and the chicken is cooked through.
8 min
- 8
Fold in the spinach and stir for about 30 seconds, just until wilted. Ladle into bowls and, if desired, finish with extra Parmesan and chilli flakes.
Ago's Notes
- Chicken thighs stay juicy through the full simmer. If using breast, sear it while still raw inside, remove it, and return it with the cream so it does not overcook.
- For 1 1/2 teaspoons homemade Italian seasoning, combine 1/2 teaspoon dried basil with 1/4 teaspoon each dried oregano, marjoram, thyme, parsley, and red chilli flakes; scale up the herbs you have if needed.
- Vacuum-packed sun-dried tomatoes plump especially well, but oil-packed tomatoes work too; their oil can replace the olive oil. Cannellini, Great Northern, or other beans may replace butter beans. For dried beans, start with 1 cup, then soak and cook them to yield about 3 cups.
- Use a dry white wine that is neither sweet nor heavily oaked. For an alcohol-free stew, replace it with alcohol-free white wine or an equal amount of chicken broth. Kale may replace spinach, and cheddar or another sharp cheese may replace Parmesan.
- For gluten-free thickening, omit the flour. Whisk 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch with 1/3 cup of the cream, use the remaining cream as written, and add the slurry during the final 2 minutes before the spinach.
- A 30 cm (12-inch) pan gives the chicken room to brown. If the pan is smaller, use a large heavy pot and sear the chicken in two batches. Refrigerate leftovers for 3–4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Ladle the stew while the sauce is glossy and thick, with warm crusty bread alongside if desired.
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