Craig Claiborne's Smothered Chicken, Creole Style

Name: Craig Claiborne's Smothered Chicken, Creole Style
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: Four servings
Cuisine: creole
Ingredients: 1 chicken, approximately 3 1/2 pounds, butterflied (split down the backbone, breast left intact and unsplit); Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 cup finely chopped onion; 1 cup finely chopped celery; 1 cup finely chopped, cored and seeded green pepper; 1 1/2 teaspoons finely minced garlic; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 3/4 cups canned imported tomatoes, crushed or chopped; 1 bay leaf; 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

By Sam Sifton

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Rating: 4(89)
Comments: Read comments

For this version of a classic Southern smothered chicken, Craig Claiborne and Pierre Franey reddened the gravy and brought it some of the gentle heat of the Delta. Served with white rice, it makes for a classic family meal.

Featured in: Make Dinner: A Home Cooking Manifesto

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Ingredients

Yield:Four servings

1chicken, approximately 3½ pounds, butterflied (split down the backbone, breast left intact and unsplit)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2tablespoons unsalted butter
1cup finely chopped onion
1cup finely chopped celery
1cup finely chopped, cored and seeded green pepper
1½teaspoons finely minced garlic
2tablespoons all-purpose flour
1¾cups canned imported tomatoes, crushed or chopped
1bay leaf
2tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Craig Claiborne believed a black iron skillet to be essential for the authentic preparation of this dish. Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Select a skillet large enough to hold the chicken comfortably when it is opened up as for broiling. Fold the chicken wings under to hold them secure.
Step 2
Melt the butter in the pan and add the chicken skin-side down. Cover the chicken firmly with a plate that will fit comfortably inside the skillet. Place a heavy can, stone or brick on the plate to weight it down. Cook over low heat, checking the skin side of the chicken, until it is nicely browned, approximately 25 minutes.
Step 3
Remove the chicken to a warm platter. To the skillet add the onion, celery, green pepper and garlic and cook, stirring, until onions are wilted.
Step 4
Sprinkle with flour and stir to blend. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, salt and pepper, stirring rapidly with the whisk. Bring to a boil.
Step 5
Return the chicken to the sauce skin-side up. Cover with the plate and weights and continue cooking over low heat 45 minutes longer. Remove the chicken to a warm platter and cook down the sauce briefly, stirring. Pour the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with parsley.

Ratings

4 out of 5

89 user ratings

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Comments

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Brian4 years ago

Yes. Like a fricasé but the meat won’t fall off bone. Did 15 min, 15 min, then made sauce. Finished w 30 min, meat in sauce. Added juice of whole lime to sauce before adding fresh tomatoes.

Beth B.5 years ago

This was awesome - I would add more spice and cook the sauce down so it is nice and red. I found the chicken didn’t need 45 minutes in the second cooking in the pan.

Amanda5 years ago

Really tasty. The skin was not crispy by the time everything was finished cooking, so we just removed it before eating, but cooking the chicken in the sauce definitely added richness to the sauce and flavor to the meat. I wanted some sweetness and spice so I added a couple tablespoons of sugar and several good shakes of crushed red pepper.

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