Fricken Chiccasee

Author: Dirk Recker

Materials

• red pepper, chopped (1)
• orange pepper, chopped (1)
• celery, chopped (1 cup )
• carrots, chopped (1 cup)
• shalots, finely chopped (½ cup)
• chicken thighs, boneless & skinless (5)
• bacon, baked & chopped (5 strips)
• andouille pork sausage, cooked & chopped (2)
• corn (½ can)
• lemon (1)
• wondra
• hot sauce¹ (1 tsp)
• baby potatoes (2 lbs)
• chicken stock (1½-2 cartons²)
• herbs de provence
• lemon zest
• salt & pepper

Procedure

Chicken

1. Season chicken with salt, pepper, herbs de provence, lemon zest and lightly coat with olive oil.
2. In large Dutch oven, brown both sides of chicken thighs. (they don’t need to be completely cooked through).
3. Take out of Dutch oven when both sides are browned and bake, covered in foil, 250 degree oven for 30 min.
4. Remove chicken, let it rest, and cut up in small pieces.

Base

1. Saute carrots, celery and shallots in Dutch oven for about 5 min. Let it absorb all that deliciousness from the chicken thighs.
2. Add the bell peppers. Saute on medium with lid on Dutch oven about 15 min.
3. Take lid off and cover veggies with half carton (carton is ) chicken stock. Put lid back on and cook for 15 min. Then add rest of carton and cook again with lid on for 10 min.
4. Add hot sauce.
5. Squeeze juice from ½ lemon into pan. Whisk and taste.
6. Add Wondra slowly to thicken and continue whisking. It should begin to look like the inside of a pot pie. Taste and add salt/pepper. Use Wondra to thicken.
7. In the meantime, microwave baby potatoes until almost cooked through.
8. Cut in small pieces. Add potatoes to pot, lid on, to finish cooking potatoes.
9. After cooking 10 min or so, check on it. It’s probably getting too thick, so open 2nd carton of chicken stock and add more to thin it out. Hard to say how much as this is an eyeball/taste thing.
10. As broth gets to desired thickness, add chopped, cooked chicken and the andouille sausage.

Finishing

Keep tasting the broth – you want a hint of lemon and a little heat. Continue cooking with lid on. Potatoes need some time to get completely cooked, and in the meantime, the broth will thicken. This might take up to 30 min. Stove should be on low-medium now with lid on. Continue tasting broth, adding more lemon, or salt/pepper if needed. (You’ll probably use ½ the 2nd box of chicken stock).

At the end, add ½ can of drained corn, and chopped up cooked bacon. If you want, add more Pepper Plant hot sauce. Continue cooking. Once potatoes are at desired consistency, and broth is tasty, cook on med-low with lid on for 20 min. – your end product should look like the inside of a pot pie.

Enjoy on a huge piece of Trader Joe’s cornbread (made/baked previously).