After coming back from the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival and visiting with Pam Smith of Spice Blends, I knew I needed to incorporate her wonderful new spice blend, Citrus Spice, into this dish. I thought, what better way than with a delicious French-style stew with chicken and mushrooms? Usually, I make this dish in a Dutch oven; I thought I could test out my new 7-quart Crock-Pot.

The only major prep is the browning of the chicken. This is my Slow Cooker Citrus-Spiced Chicken and Mushroom Stew.

Prep Time: 40 minutes (includes 30 minutes for browning chicken)
Cook Time: 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high
Total Time: 8 hours 40 minutes (4 hours 20 minutes)
Yields: 4 to 6 servings
Equipment: 1 (12-inch) cast-iron skillet, 1 (7-quart) Crock-Pot, chef’s knife, 2 rimmed baking sheet pans, 2 large mixing bowls, 3 medium-size bowls, cutting board, meat-safe cutting board

Citrus Spice Blend Flour:
3 cups of all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of Citrus Spice Blend
1 tablespoon of kosher salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper, freshly ground

Ingredients:
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, cut in half and seasoned
1 1/2 cups of avocado oil (amount of oil may vary)
4 medium-size Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed clean, dried, and halved
3 pints of whole cremini mushrooms, cleaned
2 large onions, quartered
3 ribs of celery, cut into 3-inch pieces, including the leafy tops
6 whole cloves of garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon of Citrus Spice Blend
2 tablespoons of kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons of black pepper, freshly ground
1/2 cup of good white wine
1 cup of chicken broth, unsalted
1 cup of cooking liquid
1 heaping tablespoon of all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons of fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
Garnish:
2 tablespoons of Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Instructions:
Cut four chicken breasts in half, as shown in the pictures above. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Next, prep all the vegetables and transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Set aside. Clean the mushrooms with a damp paper towel to remove any dirt and/or grit. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Last, in a medium-sized bowl, prepare the seasoned flour. In a bowl, add the flour, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 3 tablespoons of the Citrus Spice Blend; whisk to combine. Set aside.

To start, use 1 tablespoon of the Citrus Spice Blend and add a pinch underneath the skin of the chicken pieces. Using 1 tablespoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, distribute evenly, and season the tops of all the chicken pieces. Transfer the pieces to a rimmed baking sheet pan, and set aside. Dredge each piece of chicken into the seasoned flour, shake off any excess, and set onto a separate rimmed baking sheet pan. Repeat until all the chicken pieces are coated in the seasoned flour.

In a cast-iron skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add enough oil to cover the bottom of the skillet, about 1/2 inch deep. Heat the oil until it shimmers. Place the chicken into the skillet, skin side down, in batches of three. Cook for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium; continue cooking skin-side down, occasionally rearranging the chicken pieces until the fat renders and the skin is golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Use tongs to flip each piece, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Transfer the finished golden-brown chicken pieces back onto the rimmed baking sheet pan. Repeat the process until all are golden brown. The chicken will finish cooking in the slow cooker.

In the Crock-Pot, place the potatoes, onion, celery, and garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper to the vegetables. Next, add the chicken broth and wine. Arrange the chicken pieces on top, but make sure they are nestled in well.

Set the temperature to high if cooking for 4 hours and low for 8 hours. Keep in mind that the vegetables will release water as they cook. This will cause the liquid to rise slowly as everything progresses. I cooked this version on high for 4 hours because I happened to be home and needed to watch the progression so I could post everything correctly.

After 3 1/2 hours, remove the chicken and transfer to a plate. Add the mushrooms and fresh thyme. If you left this to cook for 8 hours on low, you’d pull the chicken out at 7 1/2 hours and do the same.

For a slightly thicker gravy, remove one cup of the cooking liquid and whisk in 1 heaping tablespoon of flour. Whisk until it becomes paste-like, with a somewhat smooth consistency. Add it right back into the Crock-Pot, and stir to combine.

Carefully add all the chicken pieces back into the Crock-Pot. Cover and continue to cook for another 30 minutes. The heat from the hot liquid and the chicken on the top will cook the mushrooms.

To go along with this dish, I made my Semi-homemade Cheddar and Chive Drop Biscuits for dipping. The link for this recipe is at the bottom of this post.

To serve, ladle a good helping of the stew into a large porcelain bowl, making sure to get a little of everything. Garnish with Italian flat-leaf parsley.

There you have it, my Slow Cooker Citrus-Spiced Chicken and Mushroom Stew.

Notes:
1) You want to set the temperature to high if cooking for 4 hours and low for 8 hours. Keep in mind that all the vegetables will release water as they cook. This will cause the liquid to rise slowly as everything progresses. I cooked this version on high for 4 hours because I happened to be home and needed to watch the progression so I could post everything correctly.

2) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value matter to you, I recommend running the ingredients through a preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.

https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/07/10/summer-time-flowers-and-herbs/

https://lindalouhamel.com/2014/12/04/drop-biscuits/

https://lindalouhamel.com/2017/12/25/mocha-chili-spiced-roasted-asparagus-p-s-flavor-artisanal-spice-blends/