Country Captain Stew Recipes

LEE BROS. COUNTRY CAPTAIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Pour the broth into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Put the currants in a small bowl and pour enough broth over them to cover. Set aside. In another small bowl, combine the curry powder, garam masala, salt, and black pepper and reserve.
• Scatter the bacon in a 4 to 6 quart enameled cast-iron pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir the pieces around occasionally until the bacon is firm and just golden brown, about 5 minutes. With the slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a small bowl and reserve.
• Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pot, reserving the excess fat in a small bowl. Brown the chicken thighs in batches over medium-high heat, taking care not to crowd them in the pot, until they are golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Add the reserved bacon fat, 1 teaspoon at a time, if the pot becomes too dry. Remove the chicken and reserve in a medium bowl.
• Add 2 teaspoons reserved bacon fat to the pot (if there is none left, use 2 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil). Add the chile and toast the chile in the fat, about 30 seconds per side, until very fragrant.
• Add the carrots, bell peppers, onions, and garlic and cook until slightly softened, about 6 minutes. Add the tomatoes, spice mixture, ginger, and the currants and their broth. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the tomatoes have cooked down to a puree and the sauce has thickened around the vegetables, about 8 minutes.
• Nest the chicken thighs gently in the vegetable sauce so that the skin side faces up and is above the surface of the gravy. Tent the pot loosely with foil and transfer to the middle rack of the oven. Bake until the country captain resembles a roiling stew around the chicken thighs, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the sauce has thickened further and the chicken skin is just beginning to crisp, about 15 minutes more.
• Remove from the oven, skim any excess fat from the surface, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Discard the chile. With tongs, transfer 3 thighs to each of 4 wide, deep bowls filled with 1 cup hot white rice. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and the rice and garnish with the reserved bacon, almonds, and parsley.

30 MINUTE SOUTHERN CLASSIC: COUNTRY CAPTAIN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add butter and rice and return water to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover the pot. Cook rice 20 minutes or until tender. Turn off heat and fluff rice with a fork.
• Combine flour and paprika in a shallow dish. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cut each chicken breast and thigh in 1/2 on an angle. Coat chicken pieces in paprika seasoned flour. Wash your hands and chicken work surfaces thoroughly.
• Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to the pan. Brown chicken pieces, 3 minutes on each side, and remove from the skillet. Add butter to the pan, then stir in peppers, onions and garlic. Season the veggies with salt and pepper and saute them 5 to 7 minutes to soften. Add curry, stock, tomatoes and raisins. Slide chicken back into the skillet and simmer over moderate heat for 5 minutes to combine flavors and finish cooking the chicken through. Place skillet on a trivet and serve the chicken from the pan. Garnish the Country Captain's chicken with sliced almonds. Transfer rice to a serving dish and garnish with chopped scallions.

COUNTRY CAPTAIN CHICKEN

Steps:

• In small nonstick skillet, toast almonds over medium heat, stirring often, 3 to 4 minutes or until lightly toasted. Tip onto a plate; let cool.
• Cut chicken breasts crosswise in half. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Lightly coat with flour, patting off excess. In a 5-quart saucpean or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned but not cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate.
• Add onion and bell peppers to the saucepan. Cook and stir 5 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Stir in garlic, curry powder, thyme and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add tomatoes (with juice) and wine; heat to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Stir in currants.
• Return chicken to saucepan, pushing it down into the sauce. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and partially cover saucepan. Cook 10 to 15 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of chicken reads 160°F and juices run clear. Sprinkle with almonds.

COUNTRY CAPTAIN STEW

Steps:

• Heat half of the oil in a large skillet. Add the tofu dice and sauté, stirring frequently, until most sides are golden. Remove from the heat and set aside until needed.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a soup pot. Add the onion and garlic and sauté over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden.
• Add the water, bell pepper, potatoes, tomatoes, apples, curry powder, ginger, and optional cayenne pepper. Bring to a rapid simmer, then lower the heat. Cover and simmer gently for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are done.
• Stir in the sautéed tofu, raisins, and cilantro. Add a little more water if needed, but let the stew remain thick. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cook over very low heat for another 10 to 15 minutes. Serve at once or make ahead and reheat when needed. Top each serving with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.
• Per serving:
• Calories: 333
• Total fat: 14g
• Protein: 17g
• Fiber: 7g
• Carbohydrate: 44g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Sodium: 25mg

COUNTRY CAPTAIN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic; sauté until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add chicken, curry powder, ginger and crushed red pepper; stir 2 minutes. Add 4 cups broth, tomatoes and apple and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.)
• Stir orzo and currants into soup and simmer until orzo is just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with cilantro and dollop of yogurt.

SLOW-COOKER COUNTRY CAPTAIN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place onion, pepper and garlic in a 6-qt. slow cooker. Arrange chicken pieces over vegetables., Whisk the next 5 ingredients with the chicken broth. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Add raisins and tomatoes. Reduce heat to low and cook until chicken reaches 165°, about 2-1/2 hours. Serve over rice; if desired, sprinkle with parsley.

SAUCY COUNTRY CAPTAIN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Flour and brown chicken in pot. (Remove skins before hand if you prefer.).
• Remove chicken and set aside on a platter.
• Sautee garlic, onion and mushrooms in same pot until onion is translucent. No need to add more oil.
• Add spices, then wet ingredients, then browned chicken.
• Simmer 45 minutes, or until chicken is completely cooked through.
• Per your preference, serve chicken whole over rice, or remove meat from bones, and add back into stew.
• Cooking with the bones in adds a lot of flavor.

COUNTRY CAPTAIN

Steps:

• Coat chicken pieces with flour. Heat 3 Tablespoons of butter in wide fry/saute pan. Add as much chicken as will fit easily with good contact, cooking a few minutes on each side. Repeat as necessary to cook all the chicken, and remove and set aside.
• Add more butter and cook green pepper and onion until golden. Stir in curry powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg. Stir for about a minute and then add tomatoes, chicken broth, currants/raisins, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper.
• If using whole tomatoes, lightly mash them against the side of the pan. Scrap the bottom of the pan to get off any cooked bits. Return chicken to the pan and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce so it barely bubles. Cover tightly and cook for 20-30 minutes.
• Serve over cooked rice.