Country Captain

Country Captain Chicken originated in the British Raj in India. In the 19th century, British trade ships in India, were called "Country Ships" and their captains were known as "Country Captains." Country Captain Chicken was a popular dish at their tables and got its name through this association. This dish made its way to Savannah, Georgia, and to this day Georgians claim it as their own!

Ingredients

• 6 chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on
• 1 cup cold tap water
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 slices bacon, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch thick pieces
• 2 yellow bell peppers, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, with juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
• 2/3 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted
• 2 cups cooked white rice
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place water in small saucepan and boil over high heat. Place raisins in small bowl; pour enough boiling water over just to cover raisins. Let stand.
3. In another small bowl, combine curry powder, garam masala, salt and pepper. Reserve.
4. In large, oven-proof skillet, cook bacon pieces over medium heat until golden brown, about 3 minutes.
5. Remove with slotted spoon; place on paper towels and drain. Reserve 2 tablespoons bacon fat in skillet.
6. Add chicken to skillet and brown over medium-high heat, turning. (Add excess bacon fat if pan becomes too dry.) Remove chicken thighs to plate and set aside.
7. In same skillet, add carrots, bell peppers, onion and garlic; cook 6 minutes or until lightly softened.
8. Add tomatoes, spice mixture, ginger, and raisins with the water. Simmer sauce to thicken, about 8 minutes.
9. Place chicken thighs in sauce, skin-up.
10. Tent skillet loosely with foil; transfer to middle rack of oven.
11. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil from skillet; cook the further thicken sauce, about 15 minutes more.
12. Remove chicken from oven.
13. Spoon rice onto serving platter; top with chicken thighs and then with tomato sauce.
14. Garnish with bacon pieces, almonds and parsley.

Nutrition

Per serving: 630 calories; 26g fat; 5g saturated fat; 68g carbohydrate

Attribution

Recipe and photo used with permission from: National Chicken Council

Image source: pricechopper.com