Chicken and Mixed Vegetable Stew
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2 tablespoons vegetables oil
1 (4-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
3 tablespoons butter
4 parsnips, peeled, sliced
3 large carrots, peeled, thinly sliced
3 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), halved
lengthwise, sliced
1 pound baby new potatoes, thickly sliced
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 cups canned chicken broth
2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon or 2 teaspoons dried
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup whipping cream

Heat vegetable oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium heat.
Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pot in
batches and cook until light brown, about 5 minutes per side.
Transfer chicken to bowl. Pour off fat from pot and discard.

Add butter to same pot and melt over medium heat. Add sliced
parsnips, carrots, leeks and potatoes and stir to coat. Cook 8
minutes, stirring occasionally. Add flour and stir 2 minutes.
Gradually mix in chicken broth. Increase heat and bring to boil.
Return chicken to same pot. Add 1 tablespoon tarragon and bay leaf.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer until chicken and vegetables are cooked
through, turning chicken occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Using tongs, transfer chicken pieces to large shallow bowl and tent
with foil. Add whipping cream to pot; increase heat and simmer until
liquids thicken to sauce consistency, about 10 minutes. Discard bay
leaf. Mix in remaining 1 tablespoon tarragon. Season stew to taste
with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce and vegetables over chicken and
serve.

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