Country Captain Chicken
Country Captain Chicken is a beautiful dish, maybe few have heard of, although it’s been around for quite some time. If you are looking for a mouthwatering and exotic chicken dish that will tantalize your taste buds? Look no further than Country Captain Chicken! This recipe is a delightful blend of succulent chicken pieces, simmered in a fragrant medley of aromatic spices, tomatoes, and onions, creating a symphony of flavors that will leave you craving for more. Served with fluffy basmati rice, this classic Southern American and Indian fusion dish is sure to impress your family and guests alike.
Lowcountry cooking often makes brilliant use of the spices that arrived aboard ships that sailed into the local harbors, perhaps with a country captain at the helm. This recipe was originally prepared with drumsticks, but I prefer using chicken thighs. The key to creating a depth of flavor in this dish is to use high-quality curry powder.
Country Captain Chicken
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp kosher salt divided
- 12 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- 2 Tbs vegetable oil
- ¼ cup butter divided
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley plus more for garnish
- 2 cups chopped yellow onion about 2 medium onions
- 3 cups chopped green pepper about 3 medium peppersI like to mix the colors.
- 3 garlic cloves minced (about 3 tsp.)
- 1 ½ Tbs curry powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 14.5-oz. cans chopped tomatoes, undrained
- ½ cup raisins I like to use golden raisins
- 6 cups hot cooked rice I used Basmati
- Toasted slivered almonds
Instructions
- This can easily be divided by 2 to make less or freeze the leftovers for another day. Be sure to use a high quality freezer bag, not store brands. I always double bag food going into the freezer.
- Combine flour, paprika, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a large ziplock plastic freezer bag. Place chicken thighs, a few at a time, in bag of flour mixture, shaking to coat. When all chicken thighs are coated, discard flour mixture.
- Heat oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium, stirring until melted. Add 4 to 5 chicken thighs, skin side down, and cook until well browned and crisp on 1 side, 6 to 7 minutes. Turn and cook until browned on other side, about 2 minutes. Transfer thighs to a plate, reserving drippings in Dutch oven. Repeat twice with remaining thighs.
- Add onions, bell peppers, garlic, curry powder, black pepper, nutmeg, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 1 teaspoon salt to reserved drippings in Dutch oven; cook over medium, stirring often, until onion is tender. Stir in tomatoes and raisins.
- Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high; reduce heat to medium-low, and return chicken to Dutch oven. Cover and simmer 15 minutes; uncover and cook until a thermometer inserted into chicken thighs registers 165°F, about 15 minutes. Stir in chopped parsley. Serve chicken and sauce over rice. Garnish with almonds and reserved chopped parsley.
Video
Notes
The history of Country Captain’s Chicken Recipe.
For more of my recipe follow this link: https://darlenestable.com/category/entree/
