Country Chicken Stew

• dried navy beans↗8 ounce

  half a pound

• slices thick-cut bacon, cut into very small pieces↗4
• small onions, thinly sliced↗2
• cloves garlic, thinly sliced↗5
• thyme, bay leaf, and parsley↗

  tie them together for easy removal

• whole chicken1

  rub some salt under the skin ahead of time, if you think of it!

• water to cover
• salt↗1 tablespoon
• large carrots, sliced↗3
• one-third of a head of cabbage, thinly sliced1
• lemon or red wine vinegar to finish↗
• parsley or any other herbs to finish↗

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Cover the beans with water and soak for 4-12 hours.

2. 2

   Heat the bacon, onion, and garlic over medium high heat. Sauté until everything is very soft and flavorful, about 10 minutes.

3. 3

   Add the beans and herbs to the pot, and place the whole chicken on top of everything. Cover with water. Throw in the salt, put a lid on, and let it simmer for about an hour.

4. 4

   After an hour, take the chicken out and transfer to a large plate or cutting board to cool. Skim the top of the soup pot for any weird-looking foam. Pull out the herbs. Add carrots and cabbage and let the whole thing keep cooking to get those veggies softened.

5. 5

   When the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull the chicken meat off and cut / shred into bite-sized pieces. I usually add half of the chicken back to the pot and then save the other half for something else delicious later in the week. Squeeze a little lemon juice in there or hit it with a splash of red wine vinegar to finish. Serve with extra herbs if you want, and definitely get a piece of hot crusty bread slathered with that amazing garlic herb butter ready for some dunking. Oh my goodness, what a beauty. You’ve arrived.