THE CHEF FROM HELL

Country Captain is a classic American recipe that is indigenous to the low country region in Georgia and South Carolina.  The origins of this dish are hard to decipher as many different stories about its creation have emerged over the years. 

The most popular version contends that during the 1800's, a sea captain arrived in the port of Charleston with a shipment of spices from India and one of the locals prepared a meal for him that consisted of chicken seasoned with some of the captain's curry powder.  Some sources explain that a "country captain" is an Anglo-Indian term pertaining to a captain of a ship from a foreign country.

So much for history, let's eat!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 lb Hickory Smoked Bacon
• 1 large Spanish Onion, chopped coarse
• 1 large Green Bell Pepper; stemmed, seeded & chopped coarse
• 3 cloves fresh Garlic, diced
• 1 can Crushed Tomatoes (28 oz)
• 1 tsp fresh parsley leaves, diced
• 1 Fryer Chicken (4 lb), cut into 8 pieces
• 1/4 tsp Paprika
• 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1/2 cup White Flour, sifted
• Peanut Oil for frying
• 1/4 cup sliced blanched Almonds
• 1/2 cup Currants

Dry Spice Mix:

• 1 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1/2 tsp ground White Pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp Curry Powder
• 1 tsp Thyme
• 1/2 tsp Basil

Cooking Procedure:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Place the currants in a measuring cup & cover them with hot water

Let them soak in the water until needed

Heat the sliced almonds in a non-stick pan over medium high heat

As they begin to brown, toss them several times

Remove them from heat when they have turned a golden brown color

Set the almonds aside

In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the dry spice mix

Mix well

Rub the dry spice mix evenly over each piece of chicken

Set the chicken aside

In a large skillet, heat the bacon over medium high heat

Cook until the bacon is crispy & the fat is rendered

Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon & set it aside

Add the onion, green bell pepper & garlic to the skillet

Cook in the bacon fat until the onions have wilted & turned clear

Add the tomatoes & parsley

Let this simmer for 10 minutes

Return the cooked bacon to the skillet & simmer for another 5 minutes

Remove from heat and pour this sauce into a flat pyrex baking dish

Set this aside

Clean the skillet the sauce was in & fill it with a 1/2 in of the oil

Heat the oil over medium high heat

While the oil is heating, place your flour in a shallow rectangular container

Add the paprika & salt

Mix well

Dredge the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess

Carefully slide the chicken into the skillet

Fry the chicken on both sides until it is lightly browned

Note: if your skillet is not large enough, you may have to fry the chicken in batches.  Also:  Wait until the oil in the skillet has cooled before you discard it.

Place the chicken on top of the sauce in the pyrex dish

Tightly wrap the baking dish with aluminum foil & place it in the oven

Bake the chicken for 45 minutes to 1 hour

Place pieces of the chicken on top of mounds of baked rice on individual plates

Spoon the sauce over the chicken

Drain the currants & sprinkle them over each serving of chicken

Sprinkle the almonds over each serving of chicken