Slave's Country Captain Chicken

This dish originated in the Lowcountry, that sunny area around Charleston and Savannah South Carolinian that is known for deep ports, salt marshes, and spicy cuisine. Country Captain has been a staple of church ladies cookbooks in the Southeast and is found in various forms from as far back as the 19th century.

Here are chicken thighs brightly stewed with tomatoes, a touch of spice and some cranberries for balance. It is served with a baked mushroom rice.

Ingredients

• ½ cup flour
• ½ teaspoon thyme
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp salt + ½ tsp pepper
• 2 pounds (about 4) chicken thighs (boneless - skinless)
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 Tbs chili powder
• ¼ cup Crasins (dried cranberries)

Directions:

Heat the oven to 325 degrees.

Do your cutting: Chop the onion and the garlic. Cut each thigh in thirds.

Combine the flour, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, and the cayenne in a bowl. 

  

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat until it foams. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, shaking off excess, and fry, in batches if needed, until browned on all sides, about 9 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a plate.

In a large bowl mix the stewed tomatoes with juice, the onion, garlic, and chili powder.

 

Spread 1 cup of this sauce in the bottom of 

an ovenproof casserole large enough to hold 

the chicken in one layer.

Arrange the chicken on top.

Pour the remaining sauce over and around 

the chicken.

 

Top with the Crasins . Cover tightly with foil 

and bake for 45 minutes.

Remove the foil and cook for 15 minutes more Or until a thermometer inserted into chicken thighs registers 165°F

Serve with cooked rice.

------------------

Baked Mushroom Rice

Ingredients

1 lb mushrooms , quartered (Note 1)

3.5 tbsp butter , melted (hot, not cooled)

2 - 3 garlic cloves , minced

Salt and pepper

1.5 tbsp olive oil

Rice:

1 C. rice , uncooked

1 C. chicken broth , low sodium

1 C. water

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

Place mushrooms in a large bowl. Pour hot melted butter over, add garlic, salt and pepper. Toss well.

Place all the rice ingredients in a baking pan - 9 x 9”.

Mix and shake the pan to spread the rice out evenly.

Spread the mushrooms over the rice - they will be partially submerged but should pretty much cover the whole surface area (to be the "lid" while the rice cooks).

Drizzle with olive oil.

Bake for 45 minutes or until mushrooms are golden. Remove from oven and let it rest when you uncover the chicken for its final 15 minutes.

This is a good time to fix a nice green vegetable to go with this dish.

Recipe Notes

Perfect quantity of mushrooms is when they cover the surface area in a single layer. That way, they will act as a "lid" for the rice as it cooks, then as the mushroom shrinks it allows most of it to brown

If the mushrooms are piled up too high, they won't brown as much and also the rice will be on the soft side because less liquid will evaporate from the rice as it cooks.
Risotto and paella rice is not suitable.

For our music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPPlY33IhG8

So Happy to be a slave to Master Indy

socialslave

To satisfy and restore.

To nourish, support and maintain.

To gratify, spoil, comfort and please,

to nurture, assist, and sustain

…..I cook!

Please buy slave's cookbook:

The Little Black Book of Indiscreet Recipes by Dan White http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F315Y4I/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_vAT4sb0934RTM via @amazon