Chicken, Pumpkin, and Potato Casserole
A simple casserole that is a surprising delicacy! The chicken comes out soft and juicy, the potatoes provide a thick sauce, and the pumpkin adds flavor.
Preparation time: 60 minutes
Difficulty Level: Easy
Kashrut Type: Meat
The combination of pumpkin in meat dishes is great nutritionally and aesthetically. In some cases, it turns a simple dish into a surprising delicacy.
In this case, pair the pumpkin with chicken, potatoes, and onions, each in turn frying until browned. They give the casserole deep flavors, which are enhanced with the addition of garlic and soy sauce (its intense flavor will blend with the rest of the flavors). At the end of cooking, the chicken and vegetables are incredibly soft and the starch secreted by the potatoes creates a thick sauce.
You can use chicken drumsticks, as in the recipe, but you can even use whole chicken – the main thing is that there will be fat, skin, and bones, and that the chicken parts will not be large (to shorten the cooking time).
This dish works easily with improvisations and toppings. For example, if you have cooked chickpeas, fresh mushrooms, or a cabanas sausage tail left, they will blend in nicely. But even in its basic version, this dish will not disappoint.
It can be served as a first or main course at a meat meal, and there is no need for a side dish – it comes with the side dish already inside. I like to serve it with pickles and a cold drink, which break up the relative heaviness a bit (which is not excessive anyway), and with one simple loaf (or challah) to soak up the rest of the sauce.
INGREDIENTS
(Yields 4-8 servings)
8 chicken drumsticks
1 large onion
3 potatoes
350 g pumpkin (without peel)
4 cloves of garlic
3 glasses of water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon paprika
Frying oil
(Optional) thyme branch, black pepper
PREPARATION
-
Slice the onion into slices or long slices and fry over high heat in a large pot until it begins to brown. Transfer to a deep plate and set aside.
- Peel the potatoes, slice into sixths or eighths, and then fry until they get a nice brown color. Remove from the pot and set aside.
- Fry the chicken drumsticks until they begin to brown.
- Add the garlic cloves and mix.
- Add the potatoes, onions and a little of the water.
- Cut the pumpkin into large pieces and add to the pot with the rest of the water, soy sauce, salt, paprika (and a sprig of thyme, if any). It’s okay that the liquids do not completely cover the drumsticks and vegetables.
- Cover and cook over medium-high heat until boiling. Reduce heat, and then cook for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. When finished, the vegetables and chicken should be very tender. Shortly before, taste and adjust seasoning.
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Shuki Galili has been marketing online and has been editing the Humus101 blog for the masses since 2006. He has served in editorial roles and as a reporter for technology and food in the daily press, news sites, and print. He is one of the founding generations of the Internet in Israel and has been involved in the establishment, development and promotion (SEO) of dozens of websites and blogs, many of them related to social activity.
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