Chicken Stew
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"Let food be thy medicine, thy medicine shall be thy food." - Hippocrates.
Growing up in a large family on an equally large housing estate in the Wee Provence in the early 1960’s there wasn’t much thought given to the philosophical or dietary related teachings of Hippocrates. Come to think of it there wasn’t much time spent ruminating about health in general. Health was something that was taken for granted. If you got sick there was no great debate on cause or correlation. You were put to bed with a glass of warm Ribena and told to stay in bed until you got better. Special soups would then be prepared that would aid your recovery like chicken or vegetable broth. The ingredients for these restorative broths would be sourced locally from the greengrocer and butcher where every cut of meat would be meticulously inspected It’s lineage, texture, age and fat content colourfully deliberated upon before a penny would be exchanged. Potatoes, carrots and onions would be scrutinised for disease and imperfections by mothers in heavy town coats and paisley patterned headscarves, much like a doctor in a white coat would fastidiously inspect a patient for fractures, fissures or ruptures.
It was known that these preparations were beneficial to the one’s health and well-being. This knowledge had been passed down for generations. My mother didn’t need to consult Google or YouTube for the recipe, temperature or cooking duration. She just got on with it like it was some kind of innate reflex that kicked in as soon as the mercury in the thermometer reached the red line.
It goes without saying that a warm wholesome chicken broth is packed with nutrients, vitamins and proteins that can support physical recovery but can what you eat and drink really profess to hold the key to mental well-being also?
My mother used to say “What doesn’t kill you will cure you” as she drank down a measuring jug full of a yellowish green watery soup drained from the cabbage she had been boiling. Cabbage contains compounds that reduce inflammation, which is linked to a range of health issues including depression and anxiety.
My father used to insist that “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” A recent study at the Young Loo Lin school of medicine Singapore show's eating more fruits in midlife can prevent depression later in life. The study tracked 13,738 participants over 20 years, linking higher fruit consumption with reduced depressive symptoms.
Gleann-na-nGealt in Co. Kerry is called the Valley of the Mad or the well of the insane. Legend has it that the name is associated with Gall, who was king of Ulster and was cured of his madness when he drank from the well and ate the watercress growing in its waters. In the eighteenth-century people came from far and wide suffering from all manner of mental illness to drink water from the well and by all reports they went away cured.
In July 2012, a chemical analysis was carried out on the waters of Gleann – na – nGeal there was found to be 55.6 of the chemical Lithium, ppb in the water. This was much higher than the Lithium content recorded in other water samples in the locality. The test was conducted by Tralee Scientist Dr. Henry Lyons and Dr. P O Domhnaill.' Lithium is now commonly used in modern medicines as a mood stabilising therapeutic to treat certain mental illnesses, such as: mania (feeling highly excited, overactive or distracted) hypomania (like mania, but less severe) bipolar disorder, where your mood changes between feeling very high (mania) and very low (depression).
It seems there might just be some truth in the old adage “You are what you eat.”
Recipe Chicken Stew
Ingredients
2 tablespoons of oil
11/2 pounds of chicken thighs
3 tablespoons of plainflour
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
Salt and pepper
1 onion
half dozen cloves of garlic
2-3 potatoes
3 carrots
2 chicken stock cubes
1 bay leaf (optional)
1/2 cup of milk (approx 250 ml)
1 cup of sweetcorn approx (100g)
What you will need
Slow cooker
Chopping board
Sharp knife
Garlic crusher
Method
Begin by searing the chicken in the oil until golden brown on all sides, this helps to tenderize the chicken and enhance its savoury flavour.
Toss the browned chicken in flour and then add the thyme and rosemary.
Add the veggies and broth. Toss in the onion, potatoes, carrots, and salt, and cover with chicken stock.
Cook in slow cooker for 7-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high.
Add the milk and peas. Once the stew is cooked, pour in the milk and sweet corn, and cook on high for a final 10-15 minutes. Adjust seasoning. Taste the stew and adjust the seasoning of salt and pepper as needed.
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