Craig Claiborne's Smothered Chicken, Creole Style
- Total Time
- 1 hour 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 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
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
755 calories; 51 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 20 grams monounsaturated fat; 10 grams polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 58 grams protein; 1124 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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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.
Private Notes
Comments
A variation of this that I grew up with is by cutting the chicken breast into bite-size pieces and DICING the garlic. Having tried this with minced garlic versus diced, the diced garlic really brightens the sauce and maintains the garlic flavor better. Of course, the smaller chicken chunks are great for smaller mouths as well (ie kids).
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.
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.