Perhaps the most historical meal of Lowcountry cuisine, Country Captain weaves the region’s history of a booming spice trade with each layer of flavor. Most agree that the recipe was brought over from Bengal by an English skipper (hence the name), and it quickly garnered a bevy of devotees, including President Franklin D. Roosevelt and General George Patton, who were both tremendous fans of the flavorful dish.
Country Captain Pot Pie
2014-08-15 20:08:20
Yield: approximately 10 servings
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1½ cups chopped yellow onion
- 1½ cups chopped celery
- 1½ cups chopped red bell pepper
- ⅓ cup slivered almonds
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 2 teaspoons ground red curry powder
- 1½ teaspoons salt, divided
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 2 cups cooked white rice
- ⅓ cup golden raisins
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ½ (16-ounce) package phyllo dough (approximately 20 sheets)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a 13x9- inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery, bell pepper, almonds, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. (If almonds or garlic begin to burn, reduce heat.)
- Sift flour over onion mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, until flour begins to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add broth, stirring to remove any lumps. Cook until mixture begins to thicken, 2 to 3 minutes. Add half-and-half, stirring to combine. Cook until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add curry powder and 1 teaspoon salt, stirring to combine. Stir in chicken, rice, raisins, and parsley. Spoon into prepared dish.
- Unfold phyllo sheets. Scrunch sheets into small balls. Top chicken mixture with phyllo balls.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Brush melted butter over phyllo. Sprinkle with remaining ½ teaspoon salt.
- Bake until golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes.
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