Chicken Country Captain

From My Carolina Kitchen

4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

All purpose flour

3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium sized yellow onion, peeled and chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 small clove garlic, finely minced

1 ½ teaspoons curry powder (I like Madras brand)

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

1 14-ounce can whole tomatoes, crushed into pieces, juices reserved

1 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon brandy

3 tablespoons dried currants or raisins, plumped in a little hot water, then drained

Garnish: sliced almonds, carefully browned, and finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Dry the chicken well and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Dust the chicken pieces lightly with flour. In a

large non stick skillet heat the olive oil and sauté the chicken until it is golden brown, turning frequently so that all pieces are done evenly. If they don’t all fit, do in 2 batches. Don’t crowd in the skillet or the chicken will steam instead of browning. When the chicken is browned nicely on both sides, remove to a platter and keep warm.

In the same skillet sauté the chopped onions and the chopped green pepper in the olive oil until softened and slightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for one minute more. Add the curry powder, thyme, salt, freshly ground black pepper and cook a couple of minutes more, allowing the aromatics to flavor the onions and peppers. To that mixture, add the tomato paste and flour, stirring to incorporate them. Cook an additional three to five minutes, then add the crushed tomatoes, wine and brandy. Mix and blend the ingredients well, and allow it to simmer over a medium flame for about 10 minutes. Add the drained currants or raisins, put the chicken back in the sauce, cover the pan, and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is completely tender, taking care not to overcook the chicken. If the sauce is too thick, you may thin it with a little of the reserved tomato juice from the canned tomatoes.

While the chicken is cooking, carefully brown some sliced almonds in a non-stick skillet until they start to brown. Set aside until serving time. After you plate the chicken, sprinkle generously with slivered almonds and a tiny bit of chopped parsley. Serves 4.

Rice is the traditional side dish for this. I like to mix my cooked rice with finely chopped parsley, a little good butter, and spoon it into individual small buttered dishes. When you are ready to serve, turn the molds over and carefully unmold on the individual dining plates. The little yellow specks on the top of the rice in the picture come from the butter in the mold and guests never seem to see it, so don’t worry about it. I can always count on getting compliments on molded rice.

Adapted from A Jug of Wine by Morrison Wood