Country Captain Chicken
- 8 pieces bone-in, skin off chicken, white or dark meat
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup flour
- 2 teaspoons sweet or smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 to 4 small ribs celery, finely chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- A small handful golden raisins, chopped
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes in puree
- 1/2 tablespoon red chili powder or chili de Arbol powder, half a palmful
- 2 tablespoons Madras (mild) curry powder, a couple of palmfuls
- A few sprigs fresh thyme, finely chopped
- Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced toasted almonds, for garnish
Wash and pat chicken dry, season liberally with salt and pepper. Combine flour with paprika or smoked paprika and coat chicken.
In a large, shallow pan with tight fitting lid, heat EVOO, a couple of turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add chicken to the pan and brown on both sides, 7-8 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate and reduce heat a bit. Add butter to pan, allow to melt, stir in chopped vegetables and garlic and season with salt and pepper and cook until tender 6-7 minutes. Then stir in raisins to combine and add wine to deglaze the pan. Stir in stock, tomatoes, chili powder, curry powder and thyme. Bring sauce to a bubble then slide chicken back into pan and stir to combine. Cover tightly with lid and let chicken simmer over medium-low heat 15 minutes. Start rice as a side dish.
Serve chicken with rice, scallions and almonds on top for garnish.