Country Captain Chicken

I ran into this dish listening to an interview of two guys running a restaurant in South Carolina.  It turns out that it dates back to the 1700's when ships arriving from the Far East, India, came to the Southern US ports to trade.  The captains brought the recipe with them.  So, I present to you an American version of curry.

To serve four

Ingredients:

Curry Mix:
3 tbsp            ancho chili powder
2 tsp              ground cumin
2 tsp              ground coriander
2 tsp              ground fennel
2 tsp              ground turmeric
1 tsp              ground cardamom
1 tsp              ground cloves
1 tsp              ground chili de arbol
1 tsp              ground black pepper

Coconut Rice with Green Onions:
1 tbsp            unsalted butter
1/4 cup          Spanish onion, finely diced
2 cups            long-grain rice
1 (13-14 ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup              water
1 1/2 tsp         kosher salt
1/4 tsp            freshly ground black pepper
4 green onions, thinly sliced

Country Captain Chicken:
2 sp                 canola oil
6 slices           bacon, diced
2 tbsp             unsalted butter
1 tbsp             grapeseed oil
1 1/2 cups      all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 quarter chicken pieces, skin removed
1 medium       Spanish onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 large            bell pepper, halved, seeded and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 serrano chile, finely diced
2 heaping tsp   Mesa curry mix, recipe above
1 cup dry         white wine
2 cups              homemade chicken stock
1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes, drained well and coarsely chopped
Scant 1/4 cup   raisins
1 1/2 tbsp         chopped fresh thyme leaves
Honey
1/3 cup             coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
Slivered almonds, lightly toasted and chopped
Coconut Rice with Green Onions, recipe above

Directions:

For the curry mix:
Combine all spices in a small bowl.

For the coconut rice with green onions:
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains in the butter. Add the coconut milk, water, salt and pepper and bring to a boil, stir once, cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until tender, about 16 minutes.

Remove from the heat and let the rice sit, covered for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, fluff with a fork and fold in the green onion. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

For the country captain chicken:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a large, high sided saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until golden brown and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels. Add the butter and 1 tablespoon of grapeseed oil to the rendered bacon fat in the pan and heat until it begins to shimmer.

Put the flour in a shallow bowl and season liberally with salt and pepper. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper, dredge in the flour and tap off any excess. Sear the chicken on both sides until golden brown. Remove to plate.

Add the onion and bell pepper to the pan, season with salt and pepper and cook until soft, about five minutes. Add the garlic and the serrano and cook for one minute. Stir in the curry powder and cook for one minute. Add the wine and cook until reduced by 3/4. Add the chicken stock, bring to a simmer and reduce slightly. Stir in the tomatoes, currants or raisins, thyme, 2 teaspoons of honey and season with a little salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Nestle the chicken thighs into the pan, cover with a tight fitting lid and bake in the oven for 50 minutes. Remove the lid after 50 minutes and continue to bake an additional 15 minutes.

Remove the chicken to a platter and tent slightly to keep warm. Put the pan and sauce back on the burner over high heat and bring to a boil. Let the sauce reduce slightly, then season with salt, pepper, and honey, to taste. Stir in the parsley. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and top with the bacon, almonds and more parsley. Serve with Coconut Rice with Green Onions.