The stewed chicken has made its way around the world from Africa to South America to Europe and the States. The secret to the stew seems to be the ability to know exactly when the chicken is going to slide off the bone. And the masters of this process are none other than the Portuguese.

Below, Portuguese chef Cesar Andrade has provided a simple recipe for a home cooked tender Galinha Estufada.

Galinha Estufada

What you'll need:

• 1 3 lb. chicken
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 chopped tomato
• 1 clove of chopped garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup peas or alternate vegetable
• 2 cups converted rice or other long-grain rice
• Paprika (sweet) (amount to your desire)
• Parsley (amount to your desire)

The Cooking:

Heat 4-6 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (6 quart) pot over medium high heat. Add the chopped onions allowing them to sauté.

Next, add the chopped garlic, paprika, and bay leaf. Then, while the pot is still hot, add the chopped tomatoes. Reduce the heat to a medium low, add the pot's cover, and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the tomatoes have become stew like.

Now for the fun part; the wine. Remove the cover and pour in the wine, allowing the ingredients to absorb the wine for about 3 minutes. Depending on what kind of day you had, you may want to add a bit more wine.

Next, add the chicken and 2 cups of water. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil over medium high heat. After a few minutes, bring the heat to low, and allow the chicken to simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Finally, add the 2 cups of rice. While still simmering, the rice will need to cook for a good 15-20 minutes. Add the peas or alternate vegetable along with salt, pepper, and parsley to your desire.

The chicken should now be off the bone and stewed. If not, simmer longer, adding water if necessary. The tricky part is cooking the rice (do not overcook), while the chicken cooks on its own.

When the water is absorbed, the chicken stewed, and the rice cooked to your liking, remove the pot from the stove and let it stand for 5 minutes, the cover resting on the pot.

Lift the pot, inhale the aroma, and prepare the table for this fabulous Portuguese delight. Bom apetite!