Chicken Creole

This great recipe is from the Joyce White cookbook entitled Soul Food:  Recipes and Reflections from African-American Churches. I made a few changes, but the flavors will remain the same. Instead of using a whole cut-up chicken, I had six boneless skinless chicken thighs. I cut them into 1-inch chunks for browning and braising. I used two cans of diced tomatoes. Instead of leaving the okra pods whole, I cut them into 1/4 inch slices. I also added about 1/2 t. Creole seasoning.

This quote is taken from directly from the cookbook because I wanted you to know about the woman who originally submitted the recipe. 

"Patrica Butler is an associate minister at the First Missionary Baptist Church in Handsboro, Mississippi, on the Gulf Coast. She is also a licensed chaplain and is just as likely to conduct a Bible study at the local jail as she is at a drug addict's home.

Pastor Butler is also a fine cook, and whenever the church holds a barbecue or picnic, she arrives with a covered dish. The food of the Gulf Coast is a melange of many ethnic influences:  Cajun, Creole, African, and European, and it is savory and delicious. Rev. Butler sends this recipe for a chicken dish made with okra, an indigenous vegetable of Africa."

1 chicken (3 1/4 lbs.) or 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1" chunks

1/2 pound smoked sausage (I use Conecuh brand)

1 onion, sliced

3 - 4 tomatoes (or 2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes)

2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

3 - 4 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1/2 t. dried thyme

2 T. vegetable oil

1/4 t. cayenne

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 pound fresh or frozen okra

1/2 t. Creole seasoning

chopped parsley for topping

Optional:  your favorite hot sauce

Cut the chicken into serving sized pieces, the breasts into halves, the legs and thighs separated, plus the wings for a total of 8 pieces. Rinse the chicken well under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Trim away any visible fat from the chicken and discard.

Cut the sausage into bite-sized pieces. Slice the onion; coarsely chop the tomatoes, and mince the garlic. Chop the fresh thyme or crush the dried herb.

Heat the oil in a large heavy pot. (I use a cast iron Dutch oven.) Add the chicken a few pieces at a time, and brown over medium-high heat. Remove from the pot and brown the remaining chicken the same way; removing when brown.

When the chicken is browned, add the sausage and saute 4 - 5 minutes, turning to brown evenly.

Stir in the onions and garlic.

Add the tomatoes, thyme, and cayenne. Saute 2 - 3 minutes , stirring. Add the chicken pieces back into the pot. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 30 minutes or until the chicken is almost done. 

Cut off and discard the woody end tips of the fresh okra. Stir the pods or the okra slices into the pot and cook 20 minutes longer or until the okra is tender and the chicken is done.

Serve over cooked rice and top with freshly chopped parsley.