CHICKEN COUNTRY CAPTAIN

This dish is representative of Savannah, GA and the Lowcountry and dates back to the 1800s according to historian and cookbook author Damon Lee Fowler. It wasn’t until purchasing his cookbook The Savannah Cookbook that I learned about this popular dish and the use of Indian spices that make it unique. At least, it’s unique to someone like myself who grew up in Eastern North Carolina, never having eaten or heard of this dish. And it definitely wasn’t common to use curry in southern recipes in my part of the south. But it made sense for a major sea-port town like Savannah to use these spices, which were being imported there. One account claims this dish was named for a British army officer who brought the recipe to the Savannah port from India. Another claims the name Country Captain refers to a Captain of Indian origin. Nevertheless, it has been beloved by many on the Eastern seaboard for over a century.

There are other great variations for this dish like those from Sara Foster and Virginia Willis by way of Natalie Dupree (Virginia was her apprentice at one point), as well as Stephen Satterfield’s recipe that was published in Garden & Gun Magazine back in 2012 which is the one that I referenced for this recipe. I like Indian food, but I do not like a dish with an overpowering amount of curry so if you’re like me, this is the perfect curry dish for you. The spices are a subtle back-note. This is easy to make, and is delicious making this a good option for a dinner party. It was even worthy of opening up one of my prized quarts of canned tomatoes that I made with my Grandmother, which are like gold. This is my version of Stephen Satterfield’s recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

2 tbsp. bacon fat (yes, you can use oil but it won’t be as good!)

1 whole cut-up chicken or chicken parts of your choice*

1 medium to large yellow onion, large dice

2 large stalks of celery, chopped

1 large red bell pepper, large dice

1 garlic clove, minced

1 red fresno chili, seeded and thinly sliced (or jalapeno pepper)

2-3 tbsp. curry powder (I used 2)*

1 28oz. can whole San Marzano tomatoes (chopped with their juices)

1 cup chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup dried currants or raisins (highly optional – I omitted)

Cooked white rice to serve (I prefer Basmati or Jasmine)

GARNISHES (or ‘boys’ as they say in Savannah): (choose any 2-3 or all if you like excess)

toasted slivered almonds or dry roasted peanuts

sliced scallions

cilantro

fried shallots (recipe below)*

toasted grated coconut

chutney

pickled okra

crumbled crispy bacon

*NOTES:

*Chicken – I used 8 boneless skin-on chicken thighs because they cook quicker and are easier to eat. You can you use whatever combination you like, but whether you choose bone-in or boneless, please use skin-on chicken!

*Curry Powder – Stephen Satterfield makes his own curry powder and you can find the recipe in the link above that I provided at the top. But I used store-bought curry powder.

*If frying shallots doesn’t appeal to you, but you like the idea of fried shallots like I do then check your local Asian grocery store. They sell fried shallots, red onions and garlic such as these which are all delicious! Yes you can purchase them from Amazon, but Asian grocery stores sell these types of products much cheaper.

DIRECTIONS:

If you can plan ahead the morning of the day you plan to make this, dry the chicken well with paper towels and set pieces skin-side up on a rack set inside a sheet pan. Season well with kosher salt and place in refrigerator uncovered for the whole day. Take the chicken out at least one hour before you begin to cook so that it will be at room temperature.

1. Heat large ovenproof pan or Dutch oven over medium heat, and melt butter and bacon fat until slightly foaming, about 3 to 5 minutes. Raise heat, add chicken skin-side down, and brown well. Flip and cook for a couple of minutes on the other side, lowering the heat a little if needed. Remove chicken to platter, continuing until all pieces are golden brown.
2. Over medium heat add the onion, celery and both types of peppers, using a wooden spoon to stir well and cook until onions become translucent. Season with a big pinch of kosher salt & black pepper. Add garlic and cook until it becomes fragrant, only a minute or so.
3. Sprinkle the curry powder over the vegetables, stirring frequently until the curry is fragrant, about a minute or two which will wake up the spices.
4. Add tomatoes and their juices, chicken broth and stir well, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits.
5. Bring liquid to a simmer and stir well. Then return chicken to the pot but don’t submerge the skin. Lower the heat until it’s just gently bubbling.
6. Cook on top of the stove over low flame until chicken is cooked through, about 25 to 45 minutes (25 if using boneless chicken, 45 for bone-in). Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. To serve: Transfer chicken to beds of rice in shallow bowls and pour sauce and vegetables over top and sprinkle with garnishes of your choice. Or, set out family style if you are entertaining and allow guests to choose which garnishes they want.

TO FRY SHALLOTS: Peal and slice a couple of shallots into thin rings. Place in a small pot and just cover with canola oil. Bring to a low boil and stir constantly with a wooden spoon to separate the rings and prevent them from burning. Cook until they become light brown and are starting to turn golden. Careful not to overcook or they become bitter. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate and season with kosher salt. These can be made ahead earlier in the day and stored in an airtight container once they are completely cooled.