Granny's Chicken Stew

Family traditions, memories from my childhood......
I'm very fortunate to come from a family of wonderful cooks. Food has always been a centerpiece for any gathering, whether it be a holiday celebration, the fishing trip my sister organizes each year, or the inevitable family funeral.
There are many recipes in my large, and ever growing collection, that have been handed down through the generations. This one is one of my favorites!
It dates back to one of my Great-Grandmothers and has been used as a Christmas Eve staple for every generation since. My sister and I continue that as well.
But mostly, it's just a darn good, economical recipe that feeds a crowd.
I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Granny's Chicken Stew
In a big stock pot, place 1 large chicken, cover with water and boil until the chicken is tender and the meat comes off the bones.
Take the chicken out of the water, drain, and set aside to cool.
I always strain my stock at this point. Take a fine mesh strainer and pour the water you just cooked your chicken in through it to take out any fine bits of bone or remains of foam from the chicken.
Give your stock pot a quick rinse out, and return the stock to the pot and turn your heat down to simmer.
I start adding vegetables at this point, while my chicken is cooling.
Now, there's no set amount, or of type of veggies - just add what you like.
I usually add peas, corn, beans, carrot, and whatever else strikes my fancy at the time.
I also add in at least one can of diced tomatoes.
Let your veggies come back up to a boil and add in a 500g package of pasta.
I've also used rice, and it works just as well.
Stir occasionally to keep the pasta or rice from sticking.
Check your chicken, it should be cool enough to de-bone.
Discard the skin and all the bones in a separate bowl - and shred the meat into small pieces.
(Now, because I have dogs, I keep the chicken skin for my dogs as a treat and discard only the bones. Never feed your dogs cooked bones of any kind!)
Add the shredded chicken meat to your stew and stir.
Turn your heat down to low and let it simmer for a few minutes.
Add your seasonings to taste. I add salt and pepper (lots of pepper), a bit of chili or cayenne, give it a good stir and taste - add more until it tastes right to you.
I'll let it simmer on low until I'm ready to serve it.

In the mean time, I make Corn Bread to go with it......

Corn Bread
Heat your oven to 200c
Take a cake pan - either square or round - I use a 9" square one - and put a bit of vegetable oil in the bottom.
It needs to be enough oil that you can swirl it around and cover the bottom of the pan.
Place the pan in the hot oven while you are mixing the rest of the ingredients.
1 cup of corn meal
1 cup of self-raising flour
1 cup of milk
1 egg
1 heaping tbsp sugar
pinch of salt
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl with a fork or wooden spoon, just until blended.
Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven and pour the mix into the pan.
Return the pan to the oven for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until brown.
Serve hot with plenty of butter!

The stew and corn bread make for a good hearty winter meal, with plenty of leftovers for the freezer or lunch the next day.
Enjoy!