Country Captain, a classic chicken dish
Don’t you love it when a recipe has a cute name or a story to go with it? This one has both. Raise your hand if you’ve heard of Country Captain? No, it’s not a fish shack on the beach. If you know about this recipe, chance are you’ve lived or visited the Lowcountry around the shores of Savannah or Charleston.
According to culinary legend this lively chicken dish was the work of 19th century British sea captains bringing spices from India to the New World. The mild stew is one of the first instance of Anglo-Indian fusion cuisine. Chefs from Craig Claiborne to Paula Deen have a version, but all recipes show similar ingredients: browned chicken pieces, onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, curry, almonds, garlic and raisins.
Country Captain Makes History
I savor a warm MRE (Meals, Ready-to-Eat) while in Alaska during the 90s. As I recall, this packet was Chicken Tetrazzini, not County Captain.
In tribute to Gen. George Patton, Country Captain was once included in the military’s Meals, Ready-to-Eat field rations. The World War II general had been introduced to the dish by FDR and both men counted it among their favorites. The classic chicken dish was served to Queen Elizabeth as part of the Diamond Jubilee in 2012. This is one of the few entrees to have its own Wikipedia entry! Here’s the recipe I used this weekend.
Weekend Meal
Early recipes for Country Captain, dating from before the Civil War, called for a “fine full-grown fowl.” I did my best with chicken pieces from Schnucks. Some recipes suggested serving it with condiments: coconut, almonds, green onions, and banana slices. As to the curry, one old recipes declared the spice should be “so fresh that opening a jar perfumes the kitchen.” My curry from Penzey had a lot of competition from other kitchen aromas, but worked just fine.
My neighbor made this luscious artichoke dip.
Cheese boards are always a good way to start a buffet. It curbs appetites until the food’s ready.
Two rustic loaves from Worthy Bread
Artichoke Dip and Cobb Salad, as tasty as they are colorful
Country Captain served over rice with added condiments was a big hit.
My cake-baking buddy came up with this light, luscious and tangy Lemon Bundt Cake.
A Special Friday Evening in Springfield
The weekend also included a meal in Springfield. I was delighted to be on stage with the other inductee to the Missouri State University Public Affairs Hall of Fame. Despite driving through a rainstorm and keeping an eye on the tornado predictions, it was a lovely evening at the unique conference-meeting area at Bass Pro in Springfield.
The 2018 inductees into Missouri State University Public Affairs Hall of Fame: Phyllis Washington, prominent Kansas City educator; Lane McConnell, acclaimed for her work in sustainable farming and local food projects; Lt. Col. Scott Morris accepting the award on behalf of the family of World War I Gen. John J. Pershing; Peter Herschend honored for his influence on tourism and education; and Jean Carnahan for public service.
