Chicken And White Bean Stew With Rosemary - olive oil

Method

• Heat olive oil over medium low heat in a large, covered saute pan. Chop the bacon finely (I truly feel a cleaver is the best tool for this--it seems excessive, but it provides a consistency somewhere between a chop and a grind), add the bacon to the pan and begin to render the fat and crisp the meat. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve.
• Cut your chicken breasts into large 1-2" chunks and toss with flour. Increase heat to medium high and add the chicken pieces to the hot bacon fat to brown a few at a time. Remove chicken from the pan once color starts to develop and reserve. Add more olive oil to the pan as needed.
• Reduce heat to medium. Slice the onion and add to the pan and sprinkle with salt. As the onion begins to sweat, scrape up the golden bits that have formed on the bottom of the pan. When the onions are soft, deglaze with the white wine and add the tomatoes and the rosemary. Let the mixture simmer for a few minutes.
• Return the bacon and the chicken to the pan, and add the chicken stock. Let the liquid come up to a simmer, and reduce the heat to low, partially covering the pan. The liquid should be simmering gently.
• Let this work for 45 minutes or so, stirring occasionally to make sure the chicken cooks evenly.
• When the liquid has reduced by half, and the chicken is cooked through and very tender, add the beans. If this makes the stew too thick, add some more chicken stock, or even a bit of water. Let this simmer until the beans are cooked through. Remove the rosemary stem, check for seasoning, and serve warm.