Help! Chicken stew but no stock!

[ButteredJorts]

I want to make a chicken stew but I've just realised I don't have any stock.

I could leave it until tomorrow but the only shop I'd be able to get to is a vastly overpriced local one and I'd really rather not pay their prices.

I have plenty of fresh and dried herbs and lots of lovely veg to put in it, will I really need stock?

Or is there anything else I should chuck in in its place?

Got any chopped toms or passata? Would be a different kind of stew but probably nicer than watery herby stew

Some extra onions, garlic, herbs, root veg and maybe some Dijon mustard or whole grain? Season well as it you usually use stock cube then it would have salt in it. Glass of Wine if you have it?

Chop some of the veg finely, fry them quickly in butter in a pan until browned. Then add a pint of water, a bay leaf and some pepper and simmer while you prepare the chicken.

should be fine. 🙂

Any white wine to chuck in?

I sometimes chuck a handful of sage and onion stuffing mix in. Flavours as well as thickens

I'm teetotal so no wine sadly!

Was hoping to avoid a tomato based stew because pretty much everything else I make seems to be bloody tomato based atm (fussy child!)

Have plenty of root veg, garlic onions herbs etc and mustard so I might just try what @Duchessofmuchness or @MintJulia
suggested

No stuffing either!

All of the above plus celery salt if you have it, or plenty of finely chopped celery for savoury flavour

I am the Queen of stews and have never used stock, ever. I also rarely brown the meat since Jamie told me itmakes no difference.

I would use a glass of wine (if left over) but that is all.
Srock is mainly salt.

Root veg, the chicken itself (especially if on the bone) mustard, herbs etc inc Bay leaf as pp mentioned.

It will taste so good by tomorrow. Promise.

Try putting Tomato sauce or brown sauce or Worcestershire sauce or all three. An apple chopped up makes the gravy special.

Finely chopped dried porchini mushrooms really help give depth but not everyone will just have those in the cupboard!

Marmite!!!

Too late to be helpful right now, but for future if you keep a bag of veg scraps in your freezer, you can make a decent veg stock in 30mins or so. I've found that helpful a few times.

Sorry if it's too late ...

If you are cooking chicken, and add liquid, you will end up with chicken stock. Even better if the bird has some bones rather than just fillets but ant chicken will make tasty stock.

Adding chicken stock would be overkill IMO.

I'd just add gravy granules if you have them, but I'm not the greatest chef 😂

Chuck a cup a soup in 😂

A bit of balsamic vinegar and wostershire sauce always brighten up a stew.