recover a stew that has way too much cayenne pepper?

[ChrisGreaves]

It was probably a mistake to start a batch of chicken-tomato-stew while distracted with a Turing machine, but, oh well!
So: what’s a good way to recover a stew that has way too much cayenne pepper in it, even for me?
I know my mother swore, then swore by potatoes for “removing” excess salt, although I suspect that the potatoes just evened out the distribution of salt.
I could drain off and discard the liquor and add a tin or two of fresh tomato sauce/paste, retaining the chicken chunks and onion.
I have ample supplies of staples such as red beans, chick peas, lentils and so on and unless we get hit with snow-a-la-Buffalo I can get practically any European basic food stuff in the four supermarkets that encircle me here.
(signed) “Hot-to-trot” of Trotonto.
P.S. I got lots of home-baked bread

[HansV]

I think I'd go for the option "I could drain off and discard the liquor and add a tin or two of fresh tomato sauce/paste, retaining the chicken chunks and onion."

[Rudi]

A few more ideas:

Make another stew without the cayenne pepper. Then mix half the fiery stew with half the new stew to curb the cayenne. The other 1/2 and 1/2 can also be mixed and then frozen to eat another day.

As mentioned, you can dilute the dish; if it will work, try using a dairy offset to fight the pepper. Milk, cream, yogurt or cheese like Parmesan or feta.

A squeeze of lemon or lime into the dish can help balance the peppery flavor. Lemon and lime are acids that help to give relief to those who burn their mouths with spicy peppers. As such, these products can be squeezed into your meal to also neutralize the flavor of the pepper.

Apparently canned corn (esp. sweet corn) also works well to tone down the pepper. If not sweet corn, a spoonful of sugar can also go a long way in neutralizing the spice. Proceed with caution, so you don't end up with a massively sweet product. Sugar may be used best in combination with acids like lime or lemon.

Some people swear nut butters are able to cut through the excess heat of a dish. If it's appropriate for the dish, try stirring in a couple tablespoons of peanut butter, almond butter, tahini, etc.

[Claude]

full cream IMHO. I make a veal schnitzel dish like this:

Cut the veal schnitzels into strips, cover them with beef stock powder and fry them on low heat. The sauce which eventuates must be extremely beefy and salty.

Prepare some champignons (tinned, cut in half), pineapple slices (tinned, quartered), add them to the veal.

Once both of them are fully immersed in the sauce, add some fresh banana slices, pour some 250ml of cream, stir and serve immediately with fettuccine.

The extreme saltiness disappears the instant the cream is added, making it a nice and super tasty sauce.

So yes, cream adsorbs a lot of flavours without destroying the food, at least in my experience.

[ChrisGreaves]

I think I'd go for the option "I could drain off and discard the liquor and add a tin or two of fresh tomato sauce/paste, retaining the chicken chunks and onion."

Thanks Hans; I tossed the lot into a colander and bottled the liquor while I contemplated.
The (thinly coated) chunks of chicken & onion seem to be edible with pasta.

[ChrisGreaves]

A few more ideas:

Muchos Gracias Amigo.

...mix half the fiery stew with half the new stew

I was half-way there; I had colandered out the bulk of the sauce (miraculously it did not melt my plastic colander) and bottled it temporarily. I'll go buy another bag of onions and a couple of trays of chicken breast later today and end up with the buildings biggest stockpile of peppered chicken stew ...

...try using a dairy offset to fight the pepper. Milk, cream, yogurt or cheese like Parmesan or feta.

Another great idea. Also an excuse to get some cream for coffee ("Well, it's really for my chicken ...") and more cheese ("Well this guy in an online forum told me too ...". Anything to get past my Doctor's hangups (grin!)

A squeeze of lemon or lime into the dish ... Sugar may be used best in combination

Let's patent this idea Rudi.
What shall we call it? How about "Sour and Sweet"? (I know, I know; see also "Black and White Cows" ...)

...tablespoons of peanut butter, almond butter, tahini, etc.

And this I must pass on. Nuts are not my favorite dietary additive, owing to the fact that I usually throw up after eating them.

OK.
I'm off to do some shopping .. Thanks!

[ChrisGreaves]

full cream IMHO. I make a veal schnitzel dish like this:...

Thanks Claude; this is timely. I was staring at my tin of pineapple chunks this morning wondering what to do with it.
All I need now is the veal and all the other stuff.
Of Course, I'll have to buy more cream than I had planned, but I see that today my pension cheque was lobbed into my bank account, so ... (sets off whistling down the street with his shoulder bag empty, for the time being ...)

[HansV]

Add some pure alcohol and you'll have a particularly fiery schnapps...