Quick and Easy Viking Beer Chicken Stew

Make a more authentic mix of spices to replace allspice using cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon

We found the recipe for this quick and easy Viking beer chicken stew on Viking Answer Lady’s site, which she got from Vikingars Gästabud (aka The Viking Feast). She tells us that the allspice is the only ingredient in this recipe that the Vikings probably wouldn’t have, because it’s definitely a new world food. To substitute the allspice with spices the Vikings actually would have had (or spices you have in your cupboard, should you be missing allspice yourself), mix together 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp cloves, and 1/4 tsp nutmeg. By the Iron Age the Vikings would have had access to these spices through trade routes.

This recipe is exactly what the sick-of-winter Viking ordered. After browning the chicken, it only needs to be cooked for 15 minutes, but it would also do well on low in the slow cooker – just like how the Vikings would have cooked it.

Quick and Easy Viking Beer Chicken Stew

Serves 4

• Ingredients

  1 chicken, about 2 to 2-1/2 lbs.
• 1 bottle (12 oz) dark beer
• 3 yellow onions
• 3-4 carrots
• 1 turnip, about 1 lb.
• 6-8 whole allspice (substitute with 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp cloves, and 1/4 tsp nutmeg)
• Thyme
• 1-1/2 teaspoon salt
• Dash black pepper

Directions

Chop your chicken into 8 pieces, or gather 8 store bought pieces of chicken (I always prefer bone-in, skin-on thighs). Peel and cut veggies into small pieces. Fry the chicken in butter in a skillet for about 5 minutes on each side. Season it with salt and pepper before placing in a stew pot. Add all the rest of the ingredients: veggies, spices, and beer. Boil the stew for about 15 minutes until the veggies are nice and tender. Serve with a hunk of breadroll, or some Viking style flatbread.

Source: vikinganswerlady.com

Think you’ll give this recipe a shot? Let us know how it went in the comments!