COOK WITH LOOPWARE
MEAL · MEAL-015
Chicken, Pepper & Potato Stew
Kitchen-tested
Chicken and vegetable stew is familiar British weekday food: tender thighs, potato, sweet pepper and peas in a light thyme-scented stock. It is generous without being heavy, with enough vegetables and potato to make dinner feel complete.
Ingredients
- — All in —
- 1 bone-in, skin-on chicken thigh (about 170 g), left whole, skin on
- 80 g bell pepper, cut into 1.5 cm strips
- ½ celery stick (about 30 g), trimmed, coarse strings removed and cut into 2 cm pieces
- 1½ potatoes (about 230 g), peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes
- 1 garlic clove, sliced
- 1 sprig of thyme, left whole; remove before serving
- 1 bay leaf, left whole; remove before serving
- 180 ml water, poured from a measuring jug
- ½ chicken stock cube, crumbled
- 2.8 g salt (about ½ tsp), spooned level
- — Add after the timer —
- 60 g frozen peas, straight from the freezer
- — Finish up —
- 1½ tsp butter, cut into small pieces
- 3 g parsley, chopped
Method
- Pour the water into the cold 1.6 L container first — a wet base cannot catch. Then everything except frozen peas, butter and parsley: bone-in chicken thighs, bell pepper, celery, potato, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, stock cube and salt. Give it all a good stir and level it. Cooking lid on loose.
- Set the heat once: very gentle — about 4 of 9 on a fitted induction hob, level 1 on a portable hob (see Heat below) — and set a timer for 102 minutes. Constant watching is not needed, but an occasional stir keeps anything from catching on the base — especially if you ever smell burning. Alternatively, if time is pressed: bring it to the boil on a higher heat — about 6 of 9 on a fitted induction hob, level 2 on a portable hob — stirring now and then; that takes about 13–21 minutes. As soon as it boils, turn it back down to the gentle setting and set a timer for 49 minutes: about 61–70 minutes in all instead of 102. Do not leave it on the higher heat once it is boiling.
- When the timer goes off: stir in the frozen peas. Set a timer for 3 minutes.
- When it goes off, check: the chicken pulls cleanly from the bone and the potato and pepper are tender. Not there yet? Cooking lid back on loose; set a timer for 5 more minutes and check again.
- Off the heat: stir in the butter and parsley. Rest for 5 minutes, then serve from the container.
- To reheat from the fridge: storage lid off, cooking lid on loose, add 30 ml water if the sauce has set firm, and use a gentle-to-medium heat — about 4–6 of 9 on a fitted induction hob, level 2 on a portable hob. Set a timer for 9 minutes; stir, then give it 5 minutes more until it is bubbling all over and piping hot right through. From frozen: add 50 ml water around the block, cooking lid on loose, use the same gentle heat for 18 minutes; loosen and stir, then give it 11 minutes more until bubbling all over and piping hot right through.
Heat
| Stage | Heat into the pan | Induction hob (settings 1–9) | Portable induction hob | What to look for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook — one setting, start to finish | about 78–190 W (very gentle — slow-cooker territory) | about 4 of 9 | level 1 (the 114 W setting) | it comes up quietly and then holds gentle bubbles; liquid always covers the base |
| Reheat from the fridge or from frozen | gentle to medium | about 4–6 of 9 | level 2 (the 300 W setting) | bubbling all over and piping hot right through |
Hob settings are not standard — the same number means different heat on different hobs. The power figures show how hard the pan is actually being heated. The settings shown are for a typical fitted induction hob with settings 1–9, and for a plug-in portable induction hob with power settings. Go by what you see in the pan, then remember the setting that gave it on your own hob.
Cook’s checks
- Chicken pulls cleanly from the bone with no pink at the bone; potato and pepper tender; sauce still mobile; bottom clean.
- Nearly dry before tender: add 30 ml hot water. Still firm at the top of the window: 5 more minutes, lid on.
- Cook with the cooking lid loose or vented; never heat with a friction-fit storage lid sealed. Container and lid get very hot — cloth or oven gloves.
Nutrition
| Serving | Calories | Protein | Fat | Saturates | Carbohydrate | Sugars | Fibre | Salt / sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 627 kcal | 32 g | 31 g | 10.7 g | 55 g | 8.5 g | 9.5 g | 1.7 g sodium (4.2 g salt) |
Nutrition information is provided for general reference only. Values are estimates based on typical ingredient data and will vary with brands, cuts, portion sizes and preparation. They are not intended as precise nutritional, dietary or medical guidance.