Dele3 Wu Ruz Chicken Stew

Name: Dele3 Wu Ruz Chicken Stew
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 6-8
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

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roubashahin.com.au

Mains Lebanese Classics

Seared chicken, a deep broth and a squeeze of lemon — this is real Lebanese comfort food

PREP TIME

10 minutes

COOK TIME

1 hour

SERVES

6-8

About this recipe

Dele3 Wu Ruz is one of those dishes that doesn’t need much dressing up — it’s my mum’s Lebanese chicken stew, and it’s exactly the kind of Lebanese comfort food that ends up on the table on a quiet weeknight. The chicken is seared first, which is really the heart of this dish, then it simmers slowly with cinnamon and bay leaves until the broth turns deep and fragrant.

What’s more, leaving the onion in the broth is how my mum makes it — most people I know cut the onion into quarters and take it out before serving, but in our house it stays in and gets eaten with the soup. That said, this Lebanese chicken stew took me a few tries to get right — not because it’s a hard dish, it’s honestly one of the easiest things you can make. The first time, I skipped dredging the chicken in flour before searing it. The second time, I kept the lid closed the whole way through, so the stock never really formed properly. Once I got those two things right, it came together easily — my mum always makes a huge pot to feed nine people, then serves it with a big bowl of rice on the side to fill everyone up.

If you love a good Lebanese stew, this sits nicely alongside my Osiyeh Wu Ruz Coriander Lamb Stew, another one-pot favourite built on a slow-simmered broth. It’s also a good one to make on the same kind of night as my Kafta Stew, when you want something hearty, home-style and ready in one pot.

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

8 large chicken chops
Salt, to taste
2 teaspoons baharat (Lebanese seven spice)
Plain flour, for dredging
2 tablespoons ghee
4 1⁄2 litres water
3 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
1 large onion, diced (or 2 small onions, diced)
1 1⁄2 tablespoons plain flour, mixed with 3 tablespoons water and a splash of the hot stock (to thicken)
Lemon, to serve

For the Garnish

Coriander, diced
Chilli, diced
Spring onion, diced (dice and mix these together before garnishing)

Notes from Rouba

Don’t rush the browning step — that’s where all the flavour in this dish comes from.
Leave the onion in the broth once it’s added. It’s not a flavouring you remove — you eat it with the soup.
Always finish with plenty of fresh lemon.

Method

Step 1: Season and Sear the Chicken

Season the chicken chops well with salt and the baharat, then dredge them thoroughly in plain flour. Heat the ghee in a large pot and brown the chicken well on all sides — this step matters, as the browning is where the flavour of the whole dish comes from.

Step 2: Build the Broth

Add the water to the pot along with the bay leaves and cinnamon stick, and bring to the boil. Let it boil for ten minutes, skimming off any scum that rises to the top, then season with a little more salt.

Step 3: Add the Onion and Simmer

Add the diced onion, reduce the heat to medium and cook for forty five minutes with the lid ajar, not fully covered, so the stock can properly form.

Step 4: Thicken and Finish

Mix the flour with the water and a splash of the hot stock from the pot to form a smooth paste, then pour it back into the pot and stir through to thicken the broth. Lower the heat further and simmer with the lid ajar until you have a rich stock that's not soupy, topping up with a little hot water if it reduces too much. Once done, remove the bay leaves and cinnamon stick, remove the skin from the chicken, then shred the meat through the broth. Serve hot with vermicelli rice on the side, plenty of lemon, and the garnish scattered on top.

A Few Things You'll Want to Know

Do I really need to leave the onion in the broth?
Yes — it's not a flavouring you take out at the end. The onion cooks right through the broth and is meant to be eaten with the soup.

What does "lid ajar" mean, and why not just cover it?
It means leaving the lid slightly open rather than sealing the pot shut. If you cover it fully, the chicken just cooks in trapped steam and you won't get that deep, properly formed stock — leaving a gap lets some of the liquid evaporate as it simmers, which is what concentrates the flavour.

Do I have to use chicken chops?
No. I'd encourage using chicken on the bone with the skin on — the skin isn't something you need to eat, and I actually remove and discard it before shredding, but it gives the chicken so much flavour while it cooks. If you'd rather, skinless works too, but keeping it on the bone is important for the flavour of the broth.

Is this good for leftovers?
It's perfect for leftovers.

Is the garnish a must?
No — my mum never did it, that's just my own take on it. What is the flour for? It's a thickener, to bring the broth to the right consistency.

Do I need to use ghee?
Traditionally, yes — it gives a lot of flavour. But you can absolutely use oil instead. I wouldn't use butter, but oil works fine.