Bowl of Chicken Creole
(click to enlarge)

Chicken Creole


USA, Louisiana Creole
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 3-3/4 #
***
2 hrs
Yes		 A popular traditional stew that's easy to make, economical, reheats well, and is sure to please. Fine for table or buffet. See also Comments.

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Chicken meat (1)
-- Marinade
Salt
Pepper
-- Trinity
Onion
Bell Pepper, green
Celery
-- Option
Okra, small
Vinegar
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can Diced Tomatoes
Tomato Sauce (2)
Creole Seasoning (3)  
Parsley
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Oil
Chicken Broth
-- Serve with
Steamed Rice
Pre-Prep   -   (20 min)
  1. Weight of CHICKEN is Thighs, skinless and boneless. Use Skin, Bones and Fat to make Chicken Broth.
Prep   -   (50 min)
  1. Cut Chicken into about 1 inch cubes. Tumble with Marinade items to coat, and set aside.
  2. Chop ONION small. Cap and seed BELL PEPPER and chop small. Dice CELERY very small. Mix all.
  3. IF using:   Trim OKRA caps close, but make sure you don't cut deep enough for an opening to form. Place in a non-reactive bowl and tumble with Vinegar to coat. Let sit 20 minutes or so, tumbling a couple of times, then drain. This will help them stay whole while cooking.
  4. Chop PARSLEY medium.
Run   -   (1-1/4 hrs)
  1. In a sauté pan (3-1/2 qt), Chicken Frier or other deep heavy coverable pan, heat Oil. Fry Chicken over high heat until it shows just a little browning. Remove from pan and set aside to drain.
  2. Make sure you still have about 1 T of Oil in th pan. Stir in Trinity mix and fry stirring until onion is translucent.
  3. Stir in Tomatoes with their liquid, Tomato Sauce, and Creole Seasoning, stirring now and then for 5 minutes
  4. Stir in Chicken and enough Chicken Broth to get the amount of liquid you prefer. It should have liquid at end of cooking, but not swimming, You'll need a little more if you are adding Okra. Simmer covered until Chicken is tender.
  5. Stir in Parsley, and IF using, Stir in Okra. Simmer about 8 minutes or until Okra is tender.
  6. Serve hot, accompanied with Steamed Rice.
NOTES:

  1. Chicken Thighs / Broth:

      Weight is skinless and boneless. For recipes like this, I buy whole chicken thighs a day ahead. I remove skin, bones and fat and simmer those with water to cover well. After 2 to 3 hours, I strain and use my gravy separator to remove fat. This produces the Chicken Broth for the recipe. For more on making and storing Broth, see our page Soup Stock / Broth.

  2. Tomato Sauce:

      This should be a very simple tomato sauce. My favorite is Faraon Spanish Style which comes in convenient 8 oz cans, but other simple sauces will also work.

  3. Creole Seasoning:

      This essential seasoning is easily made by our Creole Seasoning. You could, as many recipes do, simply add bits of the ingredients that are in Creole seasoning, but that's really more trouble than making it, and it will be very useful for other dishes.

  4. Comments:

      This is a very traditional dish, so it will be made a little differently in each household and for different kinds of events. This recipe is compiled from a half dozen of the most authentic recipes I found. Some recipes use the chicken in whole parts, which is OK for table service but impractical for buffet. Not many recipes include Okra, but one definitively authentic recipe from the Dooky Chase restaurant adds both Okra and Shrimp. Many recipes call for Chicken Breast, but some agree with me that Thigh is far better. Of my 9 Cajun/Creole cookbooks, not a single one uses fresh tomatoes except in salads, always canned.
  5. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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