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Smothered Chicken

October 22, 2019 by Carine Clary Leave a Comment

Smothered Chicken Smothered chicken is one of the signature dishes of the South and as such it’s been subject to a lot of tweeking – some good, some not so good. Recipes you find in the old cookbooks will often just direct you to cut up or spatchcock the bird, season, flour & brown it, cover in water and run in a slow oven till it’s fork tender. No need for broth, the water turns into broth as the chicken cooks and the broth is thickened by the flour on the chicken.

Effete weenies can toss in a bay leaf or some sage and decorate the finished dish with parsley but at the core it’s salt, pepper, bird, and low heat to the finish.

Tips & Tricks

My tweeks are visible below, the most important one being the teaspoon of vinegar you add at the end which adds just a bit of bite to a pretty unctuous dish. I don’t add garlic but the celery and onion are a must for me and the teaspoon of tomato paste gives a little flavor and a beautiful mahogany color. Any poultry seasoning that your family likes will work well in this prep and I add marjoram when I have it because it tastes wonderful. When I run out of seasoning mix I add only it and it’s wonderful. Another sort of French variation on the theme would be to add only tarragon, but that’s on you.

Smothered Chicken

The Prep

For the prep you need to make sure the pan is fairly hot when you drop the chicken into the bacon grease and if your bacon didn’t produce much grease add a little vegetable oil or butter. Once in the pan leave the chicken alone, letting the skin side form a crust. After a minute or two gently shake the skillet and if the chicken has formed a crust it will release and you can turn it over, cook for a couple then remove. You want that browning because it adds flavor.

Next, add your onion and celery and saute for two or three minutes on medium heat until somewhat softened. Next stir in the tomato paste and herbs, then add back the chicken, bacon bits, and water. Cover and put in the oven for about half an hour or until it tests as tender.

Smothered ChickenArrange the chicken pieces on a platter that you’ve covered with hot rice. Now you will check the sauce for seasoning and add the vinegar. Once it’s perfect pour the gravy over the chicken, sprinkle with parsley or chives, and serve to your hungry tribe.

Smothered Chicken

Side Dishes that pair well

For a dish this rich and unctuous you’ll do well pairing it with a light salad like Sensation Salad or Orange Arugula Salad.

Smothered Chicken
 
Print
Author: Carine Clary
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients
  • 2 strips of bacon
  • 2 lbs. chicken thighs (about 4) plus flour for dredging
  • 1 cup onion, diced
  • ½ cup celery, diced
  • ¼ cup carrot, diced
  • 1 tsp. tomato paste
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
  • 1 tsp. marjoram
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tsp. cider vinegar (or any other white vinegar)
  • Parsley
  • White rice
Instructions
  1. Cut up bacon and fry in a braising pan or dutch oven until brown, then remove.
  2. Salt & pepper chicken then dredge in flour.
  3. Place skin side down in the bacon fat and brown. Turn over & brown on other side then remove.
  4. Add onion, celery, and saute until soft (about 3 minutes).
  5. Add tomato paste to the center of the pan & cook for a minute, then add seasonings.
  6. Place chicken back in the pan and cover with water.
  7. Cover and put in a 325 oven for 30 minutes until fork tender.
  8. Remove chicken to a platter & check sauce for seasoning. Add vinegar.
  9. Serve with white rice & garnish with parsley.
Notes
If you don't have any dried herbs several sprigs of thyme or marjoram will serve! Just drop them in before you put the chicken in the oven for the final cook.
3.4.3177

 

Filed Under: Chicken, Southern Tagged With: braised chicken, chicken, smothered chicken

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About Me

Hello, I'm Carine Clary and I'm the FrangloSaxon.

And is that a word? In a word - Yes! It reflects my French connections in the south part of the state and the Anglo Saxon ones on the Arkansas state line. I grew up eating & loving all the foods of Louisiana and the idea is to collect lots of them right here on this website.

What you'll find here is food that reflects everybody's cooking. Creole we know. Cajun we know. But how about Croatian or Vietnamese....or Italian or German....or the underestimated plain Southern food they do so well in the upstate parishes?

They're all part of who we are so pull up your chair and join me for some good eats!

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