Romanian Garlic Chicken Stew Recipe – Ostropel de Pui

This Romanian garlic chicken stew recipe reminds me of way back, when I was 7 or 8 years old, and I used to visit my grandmother together with my mom and sister. I remember always protesting, as my mother insisted that we walk there rather than take the bus. When we would finally arrive, my sister and I would go play in the living room, while the grown ups would chat and cook in the kitchen.

My grandma would always make this garlic chicken stew, ostropel de pui in Romanian. I remember always thinking how funny the name of this stew is, as it doesn’t really have any other meaning. At lunchtime, we would all gather in the kitchen, where my grandparents set the table for us. My grandmother would plate, whilst my grandfather was in charge of making the polenta. Without fail, the polenta would burn on the bottom of the iron cast, which was actually not a bad thing, in fact on the contrary. Those burned bits were scraped and mixed with hot milk, making another delicious treat for later on.

After lunch, we would dig into the warm apple and cheese pies, which were always different than the ones I was used to. My grandmother, who is my mom’s mother, always rolled the pies, with the filling in the middle, rather than layering it.

I think it has been over 20 years since I last had ostropel de pui. Maybe even more. So it was time to recreate my grandmother’s recipe and rekindle some childhood memories.

The Ingredients for the Romanian Garlic Stew

As the name suggests, this Romanian recipe requires a lot of garlic. The more the better, I would say. I used chicken drumsticks for this recipe, but you can also use the entire legs of the chicken.

You only need a few ingredients to make this Romanian garlic stew: chicken, garlic, one onion, a can of chopped tomatoes and, optional, some white wine.

How to Make Romanian Ostropel de Pui

The ostropel de pui recipe is so easy to make, whilst at the same time packing a lot of flavour. I like garlic, so I am not shy about adding it to this recipe. Whilst some people might think 6 cloves is a bit too much, I promise you, it is not.

I also like the texture of the garlic in this stew, so I only grated three cloves. The other three, I sliced.

Another great thing about this recipe is that you only need one pan to make it. Firstly, fry the chicken drumsticks until they get a beautiful browned colour. Mix the chopped onion and garlic, and saute until it becomes translucent. Make sure you are using a medium heat, so you don’t burn the garlic. Add the wine and cook the sauce for another 2 minutes or so, before adding the chicken stock and the chopped tomatoes, to allow the alcohol to evaporate. This way you will have the wonderful flavour of the white wine, without the alcohol.

Put the lid on the pan, and simmer at a low heat for 20 minutes or so, until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce has reduced.

You can decorate the stew with parsley or thyme, and serve with freshly made polenta.

Recipe Notes and Tips

• If you don’t like the texture of garlic, you can grate all of the six cloves. Also, you can add as much or as little garlic as you like for this stew.
• The ostropel de pui is best served alongside polenta. But, if you don’t have cornmeal or don’t know how to make it, you can also serve it with mashed potatoes.

FAQ

Can you make the Chicken Garlic Stew ahead of time?

Yes, you can make this recipe of ostropel de pui one day in advance of serving. Because it is chicken, make sure that when you reheat it, the chicken reaches a temperature of 80 degrees before serving.

How do you store the Ostropel de Pui?

You can store this Romanian ostropel de pui in an airtight container, in the fridge, for 2-3 days.

For more traditional Romanian recipes, check out the following:

• How to make Romanian Stuffed Peppers
• How to make Romanian Sarmale
• How to make Romanian Rustic Potatoes

Like it? Pin it!