Golden Raisins, Coconut, Almonds, Curry, and Chicken.
What could go wrong?
Country Captain was the main dish served at our wedding, and we hardly got to eat 3 bites of it. That's why I decided I would make it every year for our anniversary.
Last year's was a disaster. Far from a romantic meal, it tasted awful. So, this year, I spent a lot of time printing and studying different recipes to try and formulate the right ingredients and approach.
Naturally, this process involved studying the definition of Country Captain:
A curried chicken dish. The chicken is browned and then stewed in a sauce of tomatoes, onion, garlic, and curry powder. At the end, golden raisins are added. The dish is served over rice sprinkled with toasted almonds. As with all chicken recipes in the South, Country Captain Chicken varies with the cook. Some recipes call for a long cooking time and other use quick-cooking chicken breasts. One thing is always certain about this dish; it is perfumed and slightly spiced with curry.
If you've never heard of Country Captain, here's a quick little history:
This delicious dish, known throughout Georgia, dates to the early 1800s. It is thought that this dish was brought to Georgia by a British sea captain who had been stationed in Bengali, India and shared the recipe with some friends in the port city of Savannah, Georgia. Savannah was then a major shipping port for the spice trade. The dish was named for the officers in India called “Country Captains.”
Now, I'd like you to meet my nemesis:
Tricky little spice that it is.
I believe it was the curry that sabotaged my anniversary dinner last year.
This year, I cut the amount in half.
I also took a new approach to the cooking process. I decided to cook it all manually on the stove top with my best friend-- canola oil-- so that I could control it. After all, I am a woman!
The end result:
You've got to try it. It has the most amazing combination of flavors. Not to mention, the Fall colors that easily qualify it as the perfect October meal.
Once you serve it. Give each portion a sprinkle of toasted almonds.
Printable recipe here.
(I apologize for the quality of the printable version.
Some spacing and such was altered during the uploading process.)
Sounds and looks delicious and intriguing! I'll have to try it....if I'm brave!
ReplyDeleteGreat post. Very clever. I laughed when I met The Curry..too funny...
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of Country Captain. Love the name and the history of it....
Looks like a great Fall dish. I'll have to give it a go....
More Later,
Kary
You are a warriormom! You can brave the curry!
ReplyDeleteFarmhouse Kitchen, that means a lot coming from you! I admire your culinary skills-- both the cooking knowledge and the writing style!
I had never heard of this dish before, but it sounds (and looks) delicious. I love how you tackled it! Such thorough research! Bravo!
ReplyDeleteOooooo Yum! Aunt Starla said you called her...somehow she knew it was about Country Captain.....But she couldn't reach you. I wondered if you might have been cooking that for your anniversary dinner:)
ReplyDeleteWhat a neat tradition!...to eat the meal each year that was served at your wedding! That's the first I've heard of anyone doing that. Great idea!
ReplyDelete