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Chicken Ajmoht II (with red wine)
Greens
Latkes (Potato Pancakes)
Chicken ajmoht, sometimes called obara, is a simple stew or ragout. Its special tang comes from a dark roux, something that my mother recalled from her childhood. For my first attempt, I had used a simple recipe from the Progressive Slovene Women of America. This time, I wanted to add some additional vegetables and seasonings.
For inspiration, I consulted a couple of traditional sources. The Food and Cooking of Eastern Europe had an obara recipe with a few more vegetable choices. Slovenian Cookery included a recipe for chicken stew with cviček, a unique Slovenian red wine.
So I added a few new touches to my earlier recipe: Carrots and leeks. Lemon peel and red wine. For quicker cooking, I used boneless, skinless, chicken breasts.
For the result, read on.
Chicken Ajmoht II (chicken ragout, kurji ajmoht, obara)
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut up
2 T. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 leek, bulb and a bit of green, soaked well and sliced
1 c. baby carrots, whole
water to cover
peel of 1 lemon, grated
4 T. fresh parsley, minced
1 T. fresh marjoram, minced
peel of 1 lemon, grated
roux, made with 1T. flour, and 1 T. olive oil, mixed
salt and pepper to taste
red wine to taste
Heat oil in a Dutch oven. Add onion, celery and leeks. Brown vegetables. Add carrots, chicken, and seasonings and continue to brown. Add water to cover and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes or until tender. In a separate pan, make a roux, cooked to medium brown. Add to the pot and stir well. Add remaining water and red wine and adjust seasonings. Simmer about 15 minutes more. Sprinkle with additional parsley. To be traditional, serve with noodles, polenta, or (of you are feeling bold!) buckwheat žganci.
The verdict? Even better, the second time around! And chicken ajmoht goes perfectly with my husband’s special latkes, a traditional Jewish favorite, especially during Hanukkah.
Actually, one member of our family did get the chance to try cviček. Right at the source. And we think the winemaker might have been a distant cousin!