There are some meals I consider my “Go To Recipes”. I call them that because they are easy to make; don’t require a whole lot of time; I usually have the ingredients in the house, and I never tire of them. When I place them on the table and begin to eat, l feel nourished physically and emotionally.
Country Captain is one of my “Go To” Recipes”. I’ve been making it for ages and over time have modified it to enhance the flavor of the dish and the quantity of sauce. The original comes from The New York Times Cookbook, published in 1961. You can go on line today and find the paper’s latest version. Having tried it I am still loyal to my modified original.
Given its name, I always thought it was an American dish but it actually originated in India. It’s thought to have come to America in the 1800s through the port of Savannah, which played a major role in the cross cultural spice trade between England and her colonies. (One of the things I love about writing this blog is I learn so much, in this case the history of a recipe.)
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts cut into large bite size pieces.
- ¼ cup flour
- ¼ teaspoons freshly ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (you can substitute canola or other mild vegetable oil)
- ¾ cup chopped onion
- ¾ cup chopped green pepper
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- 2 tablespoons curry powder (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 cups canned diced tomatoes (sometimes I use fired roasted ones)
- 3 tablespoons currants
- Sliced almonds
- Rice and chutney
Directions
- Dredge the chicken with with flour seasoned with salt and pepper
- Heat the butter or oil in a large skillet and brown the chicken on all sides
- Remove the chicken from the skillet; add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter/oil
- Add the onion, green pepper, garlic, curry powder, and thyme
- Cook briefly, stirring until onion wilts
- Add tomatoes with their liquid
- Put chicken pieces back in the skillet, cover and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes until the chicken is done
- Stir currants into the sauce
- Serve with rice and chutney
Note: To make this a one pot meal add spinach, arugula, kale or other green to the skillet shortly before serving. Cover with the lid a couple of minutes until greens are wilted.
