Cajun Country

• Back in the bayou, chicken is cooked with a number of other meats and almost always stewed with spices and the Cajun holy trinity of celery, onions and bell peppers. Use Cajun spices and herbs, such as bay leaves, cayenne pepper or hot sauce, thyme and oregano. If you have some bacon in the refrigerator, fry up a few slices, crumble it and add it to the stew. Toss in that leftover andouille sausage or those few frozen shrimps in the freezer. Or do as the Cajuns would do and add all three.

Jamaican Jerk

• Use the flavors of hot and spicy jerk chicken to flavor your chicken stew. Combine dried seasonings, such as habanero or cayenne pepper, onion or garlic powder, thyme, black pepper, cloves, nutmeg and allspice. If you can't take the heat of habanero peppers, tone it down by using the milder jalapeno pepper. Pat the seasonings on the chicken parts before browning them in oil. If the stew is nearly ready to serve, add a good pinch to the liquid. Let the stew cook for a few minutes, then taste to see whether you need more flavor.

French Flair

• Tarragon, lemon, garlic, chervil and parsley are classic French herbs that enhance any chicken dish. Rosemary also marries quite nicely with chicken. Estimate about a tablespoon of herbs and spices per quart of chicken stew. Cook for a few moments to bring out the flavors, then taste. Add more until you reach the depth of flavor you're looking for. Serve the stew with lemon wedges and a sprinkling of chopped fresh parsley.

Italian Imagination

• Tomatoes add a fresh, tangy sweetness to chicken stew. Substitute tomato sauce or juice, or chopped tomatoes for some or all of the chicken broth in your recipe. Throw in a handful of chopped basil, a good pinch of fennel seeds and lots of chopped garlic. Sprinkle a handful of Parmesan cheese and drizzle olive oil over a serving of stew before it's devoured by a hungry diner.