Country Captain

Country Captain

from foodandwine.com
Entree
110 min
10 servings
1196 kcal / serving

Emeril Lagasse shares his recipe for country captain, an iconic dish that blends Indian flavors with Southern preferences and technique. The chicken is stewed in a spiced tomato sauce and finished with plump rehydrated currants and slivered almonds.

Ingredients

  • 1 cupsall-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoonpaprika
  • 2 teaspoonssalt
  • 1 teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
  • two 3-1/2-pound chickens, cut into serving pieces
  • 3 tablespoonsvegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoonsunsalted butter
  • 2 cupschopped yellow onions
  • 2 cupschopped green bell peppers
  • 1 cupchopped celery
  • 1bay leaf
  • 1 tablespooncurry powder
  • ½ teaspoonground dried thyme
  • ¼ teaspooncrushed red pepper
  • 1 tablespoonminced garlic
  • 6 cupscanned whole peeled tomatoes, crushed with their juice
  • 1 cupchicken stock, or canned low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoondark brown sugar
  • 1 cupdried currants
  • steamed white rice, for serving
  • 6 ouncestoasted slivered almonds, for garnish

Directions

  1. 1

    Combine the flour, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper in a large shallow dish and stir to blend. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture, coating evenly. Shake off any excess. Set aside.

  2. 2

    Heat the oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in batches until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to paper towels to drain; set aside.

  3. 3

    Add the remaining tablespoon butter to the saucepan and add the onions, bell peppers, celery, bay leaf, curry powder, thyme, and crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

  4. 4

    Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, brown sugar, and the remaining teaspoon salt. Stir to blend, then reduce the heat to medium. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender but not falling off the bones, about 50 minutes. Add the currants and cook 10 minutes longer. Serve hot over steamed white rice. Garnish with the almonds.