Stewed Chicken with Golden Tomatoes from “New Native Kitchen”

We are so excited to share this delicious recipe from Chef Freddie Bitsoie’s beautiful new cookbook. New Native Kitchen: Celebrating modern Native American recipes.

When I asked Chef Bitsoie about his favorite recipe from his book, he said it was the stewed chicken with golden tomatoes. It’s a dish close to his heart, having grown up with it in his Navajo grandmother’s home in southern Colorado. It was only after he attended cooking school many years later that he realized that this recipe was his family’s version of chicken cacciatore — an Italian dish of chicken braised with tomatoes and flavorings.

Chef Bitsoie’s stewed chicken has all the flavors of local plants (the tomatoes and the three peppers) combined with French cooking techniques he learned in cooking school.

He recommends boneless skinless chicken thighs because he loves the caramelized taste of the skin once it turns brown and crispy. However, you can use bone-in chicken if you prefer. To do this, he heats oil over high heat in a heavy-bottomed pan. He then browns the chicken until the skin turns nice and crispy, about 4 minutes on each side.

Next, the wine and broth are added to deglaze the pan – this will help loosen any delicious brown bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pot. Deglazing is a wonderful cooking trick that adds extra depth to the flavor. Allow the dish to simmer longer for a thicker stew.

Why use different types of peppers?

Chef Bitsoie calls for three different types of peppers in this recipe because they all add something unique. The yellow pepper adds a certain color and sweetness that you won’t find in the other peppers. The green pepper adds a bit more bitterness. The New Mexican chilies have their own smoky earthiness that you won’t find in peppers. And depending on the pepper, a spiciness can also be added.

If you can’t find New Mexican or Hatch chiles, you can substitute Anaheim chiles. If you can’t find either, you can just use more green peppers or other peppers of your choice. The same goes for yellow peppers — feel free to substitute red peppers for them. The color and flavor will be different, but the flavors will still work together in this dish.

Why does this recipe call for golden tomatoes?

Chef Bitsoie recommends using golden heirloom tomatoes for their beautiful colour, but any heirloom tomatoes are fine. If you’re making this recipe when tomatoes aren’t in season, you can substitute about a quart of red and gold grape tomatoes, which have more flavor than other types of store-bought tomatoes. They’re also easier to use in this recipe as you can just toss them in whole – no dicing required.

What to serve with this dish

Chef Bitsoie serves this dish with a side of pasta, preferably spaghetti or linguine, because that’s what his nephew likes. When he prepares the recipe for his mother or grandmother, he serves it with rice. You can serve the chicken however you like, but it’s best with something starchy like pasta or mashed potatoes to soak up all the delicious braised flavor.