Serving
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Country Captain
USA - Southeast, Georgia
Serves
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:		 4 main  
***
1-3/4 hr  
Yes		 This delicious chicken dish is a Southern tradition, but it's roots are in India - see Note-8 for historical background - and also Variations and Leftovers.



2
1/3
1
1/4
6
2
2
4
1/3
1/3
1 28
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1
2
1/3
1/4
1/2
1/4
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ar
1 		#
c
t
t
oz
cl
oz
oz
c
c
oz
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t
t
t
t
t t
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c 		Chicken meat (1)
Flour
Salt
Pepper
Onion
Garlic
Celery
Bell Pepper, red
Raisins golden
Almonds (2)
can Tomatoes
-- Seasoning
Coriander seed
Curry Powder (3)
Salt
Pepper, black
Thyme, dry
Cayenne (4)
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Oil for deep fry
Water
    Prep   -   (20 min)
  1. Cut CHICKEN into about 1-1/2 inch chunks.
  2. Mix Flour, Salt and Pepper. Place in a shallow bowl ready to coat chicken.
  3. Chop ONION medium. Crush and chop GARLIC small. Chop CELERY medium. Cut BELL PEPPER into strips about 1/4 inch wide by 1-1/2 inches long. Mix all.
  4. Pour hot water over RAISINS, enough to cover well, and let soak.
  5. Toast ALMONDS to a light golden color in a dry pan or in the oven.
  6. Grind CORIANDER and mix all Seasoning items.
  7. Strain TOMATOES from the juice (keeping the juice) and chop fairly small. Return to the juice.
    8. Run   -   (1-1/4 hr, depending)
  8. Pat Chicken dry with paper towels so not too much flour will adhere (see Note-5).
  9. In a coverable sauté pan heat Oil at least 1/4 inch deep.. Dust Chicken pieces lightly in Flour mix. Shake off all excess and fry in batches over moderately high heat until golden (the chicken will not be cooked through). Control heat to not burn any flour that falls off the chicken. Drain chicken on paper toweling and set aside.
  10. Pour off all but 1-1/2 T of the oil. Stir in the Onion mix and fry stirring over medium high heat until onions are translucent.
  11. Stir in Spice mix and Tomatoes (including juice). Fry stirring until nearly nearly dry.
  12. Drain Raisins and stir in along with Chicken and Water. Simmer covered another 30 to 45 minutes, stirring now and then, until chicken is cooked through and tender. Adjust liquid as needed - not too dry.
  13. Serve hot, sprinkled with Almonds and with plenty of long grain rice.
NOTES:
  1. Chicken:   This weight is for skinless and boneless. I use thigh meat for better flavor and texture than breast. You can use unboned joints, with legs and thighs cut in pieces (use a sharp Chinese cleaver knife driven by a soft faced mallet), but they must be skinless. The smaller the pieces the more sauce you will end up with because the flour coating acts as a thickener.
  2. Almonds:   Properly these are blanched whole almonds dry roasted in a pan kept at between 420°F/215°C and 440°F/225°C, turning almost constantly with a thin metal turner until light golden. I do it this way, and you can roast them days in advance (provided you hide them well) but if you're in a hurry, using commercially roasted almonds is acceptable. I've found oven roasting less than satisfactory because:   a) here in SoCal we don't fire up an oven unless we really need to;   b) they always get forgotten and burn.
  3. Curry Powder:   This should be Madras Curry Powder, an Anglo-Indian invention from the Raj. Use a good brand (Sun or Ship) available in cans in markets. Of course it's better made fresh per our recipe: Madras Curry Powder.
  4. Cayenne:   Actually, I use India extra hot, but it's about the same. 1/4 t gives the recipe a mild but noticeable bite.
  5. Flour:  : The flour coating the chicken and that adhering to the pan become the thickener for the stew. If there is too much the stew will be too thick and a little bland.
  6. Variations:   There are many minor variations. Currants or black raisins may be used. Some recipes do not fry the chicken but simmer it. This is easier and reduces calories but also reduces flavor and seriously departs from the original Anglo-Indian recipe. In India chicken and fish are usually fried before using to make a curry. In England the chicken is fried but chicken stock and lemon juice are used instead of tomatoes. There are many variations there too.
  7. Leftovers:   Break up the chicken a bit and use it as pasta sauce or similar.
  8. Historical Notes:   Savannah Georgia was once a major port of entry for the spice trade. Of course most of the spices came from India. This dish is probably named for captains of India based ships called "country ships" in Bengal, thus "country captain". Anglo-Indian Country Captain (as made in India) differs in being a dry curry, but it's still fried chicken with curry powder and onions. In keeping with Indian practice the chicken is skinless and the dish is served with long grain rice. While in Georgia it would have originally been served with undistinguished Carolina (patna) rice, there's nothing to keep us from serving it with Thai Jasmine.
  9. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch ar=as required
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