This stew made with pork and chicken has a milder and more subtle taste than if made with pork alone. You can also prepare it by omitting the chicken which will give you 8 servings.
I suggest that you cook the chicken, legs and meatballs 1 to 3 days in advance and refrigerate it to easily degrease it. The dry roux (in step 2) can also be made a few days ahead and set aside at room temperature. You can substitute the cup of white flour for peanut butter-colored Cajun roux and omit step 2.
My grandmother Anna Mongrain taught me that by getting hind legs from pork you get more meat.
Secret of good dry roux
You have to be patient and resist the urge to cook it over high heat. By cooking over low heat the flour develops a slight nutty taste. When the flour is cooked until it gets brown it loses some of its thickening properties, which is why cornstarch must be added at the end of cooking to thicken it.
Quick Stew with Leftover Sauce
To make a quick stew with leftover sauce (chilled or frozen), you prepare half a meatball recipe that you simmer in a pot of water. When cooked, simply drain, add to the sauce and cook for a few minutes over low heat to heat through until sauce return to its normal texture if you froze the sauce.
Servings: 12 to 14
Refrigeration : 5 days Freeze : 8 months
Suggested Accompaniements: Boiled potatoes, boiled or marinated beets, lettuce salad.
In a large deep saucepan, put the chicken, pork and water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and skim. Add the onion and simmer for an hour. Remove the chicken from the pot and continue cooking for an hour until the pork flesh easily comes off the bones. Remove the onion and pork feet from the broth. Bone the chicken and pork and discard skin and fat. Refrigerate.
Meanwhile: In a large cast iron skillet, over medium heat, cook the flour until it get a peanut butter color: stir and scrape the bottom of the skillet constantly with a wooden spatula or the back of a fork. Reserve.
Meatballs: In a bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the ground pork, chopped onion, cinnamon, salt, pepper and water. Shape into balls the size of a golf ball. A 1 ¾ inch diameter scoop can be used. Over low heat, add one meatball at a time to the broth and simmer for 30 minutes.
To degrease, let the mixture cool without removing the meatballs and refrigerate for about 8 hours or up to 2 days until a layer of fat forms on the surface. Remove the layer of fat if necessary and heat the broth to lukewarm. Remove the meatballs with a skimmer and set aside.
In a bowl, using a whisk, combine the brown roux flour with warm or cold cooking broth to the consistency of heavy cream.
Over medium heat, whisk flour mixture into the broth and cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Combine the cornstarch and cold water, stir into the sauce and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken, pork and meatballs to the sauce and simmer for about 10 minutes just to reheat the meat.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large deep saucepan, put the chicken, pork and water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and skim. Add the onion and simmer for an hour. Remove the chicken from the pot and continue cooking for an hour until the pork flesh easily comes off the bones. Remove the onion and pork feet from the broth. Bone the chicken and pork and discard skin and fat. Refrigerate.
Meanwhile: In a large cast iron skillet, over medium heat, cook the flour until it get a peanut butter color: stir and scrape the bottom of the skillet constantly with a wooden spatula or the back of a fork. Reserve.
Meatballs: In a bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the ground pork, chopped onion, cinnamon, salt, pepper and water. Shape into balls the size of a golf ball. A 1 ¾ inch diameter scoop can be used. Over low heat, add one meatball at a time to the broth and simmer for 30 minutes.
To degrease, let the mixture cool without removing the meatballs and refrigerate for about 8 hours or up to 2 days until a layer of fat forms on the surface. Remove the layer of fat if necessary and heat the broth to lukewarm. Remove the meatballs with a skimmer and set aside.
In a bowl, using a whisk, combine the brown roux flour with warm or cold cooking broth to the consistency of heavy cream.
Over medium heat, whisk flour mixture into the broth and cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Combine the cornstarch and cold water, stir into the sauce and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken, pork and meatballs to the sauce and simmer for about 10 minutes just to reheat the meat.
One Response
My Meme, Albertha Lanoie made this every New Years Day when I was a child. She never wrote down her recipes. My brother and I tried to recreate her ragout for many years without much success. But I can see now we were missing the dry roux. Gonna try it this week! Thank you so much for publishing this!