Country Captain Chicken Stew Recipe from Global Soul Kitchen

Servings: 4

This classic dish shows the influence of the Indian spice trade throughout the ports of the old South. It is typically served with rice and garnished with almonds, but I like to use rice noodles and peanuts—the rice noodles soak up the flavor perfectly, and the peanuts provide great texture and taste. This is one of those dishes that tastes better on the second day, so when possible, make it the day before serving.

There are many different choices of curry powder, from sweet to the stronger flavors of Indian and Jamaican powder. I used a standard curry powder in this recipe, but if you like more heat, choose your own.

Duck fat adds additional flavor to this stew—it’s like cooking beans with bacon fat. It makes everything taste better (though you can substitute butter if you prefer)! No need to seek out specialty butchers: Duck fat can be purchased at Walmart or found online.

Recipe by Deborah VanTrece on Global Soul Kitchen.

Executive produced by Rachael Ray. A Free Food Studios production.

Ingredients

STEW

1 (2½- to 3-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 teaspoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 tablespoons duck fat or unsalted butter
3/4 cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped red bell pepper
½ cup chopped yellow bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped tomatoes (3 to 4 medium)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons curry powder
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup chicken broth
1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk
½ cup raisins
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

PEANUT RICE NOODLES

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ cup scallions, sliced
1 (8.8-ounce) package rice noodles, cooked according to package directions, tossed in a little vegetable oil to prevent clumping, and chilled for 30 minutes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
½ cup toasted peanuts, plus more for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, sprinkle the chicken pieces with the seasoned salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and white pepper. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 3 hours to marinate.

In a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, melt the duck fat. When hot, add the chicken pieces and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Transfer to a platter and set aside.

Add the celery, onion, peppers, and garlic to the fat remaining in the Dutch oven and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the tomatoes, cinnamon, cardamom, red pepper flakes, and curry powder, stir well to combine, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Return the chicken pieces to the pot, stir in the thyme, broth, coconut milk, and raisins, and season with salt and pepper. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, until the thighs are tender (the thighs usually take the longest to cook) and the sauce has thickened.

MAKE THE NOODLES: While the chicken is simmering, prepare the noodles. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the scallions and the chilled rice noodles. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, tossing, until the noodles are heated through. Off heat, add the salt, cilantro, and peanuts and toss to combine.

To serve, transfer the rice noodles to a wide bowl and ladle the chicken stew over the top. Garnish with additional peanuts and cilantro.