Chicken Etouffee

Total Time: 1 hr 55 mins Preparation Time: 55 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb chicken backs or 1/2 lb chicken neck
• 3 cups cold water
• 1/2 medium onion, unpeeled
• 1 garlic clove, unpeeled and cut in thirds
• 1 stalk celery, with top
• 1 bay leaf
• 10 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper
• 3 lbs chicken pieces
• salt
• garlic powder
• ground red pepper (preferably cayenne)
• vegetable oil (for deep frying)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (preferably cayenne)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 6 tablespoons flour, using reserved extra flour coating
• 1 3/4 cups chicken stock, for etouffee
• 4 -6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, to your taste
• 6 tablespoons very finely chopped green onions
• chicken stock, as needed
• 2 cups hot cooked rice

Recipe

• 1 chicken stock for etouffee: put chicken in water and bring to boil; add vegetables and bay leaf; simmer on low heat for 1-2 hours; replenish water as needed to keep 2 3/4 cups of liquid in the pot; strain and use immediately or refrigerate.
• 2 flour coating: combine all ingredients in a plastic bag.
• 3 fried chicken: generously rub all the chicken pieces with the seasonings; set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes; heat 1 1/2" oil to 375°f in a cast iron skillet; add chicken to flour coating and shake to coat thoroughly; reserve any excess flour.
• 4 fry chicken until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes per side; drain on paper towels and set aside; pour oil from skillet, retaining, and scraping loose, any browned bits, and 1/4 cup of the oil in the skillet.
• 5 seasoning mix: in a small bowl thoroughly combine all dry ingredients; set aside; combine chopped vegetables in separate bowl and set aside.
• 6 roux: heat the oil over high heat in a large, heavy skillet until it begins to smoke, about 5 minutes; remove from heat; use a long handled whisk and gradually mix in flour; reduce heat to medium-high; return skillet to heat and cook, stirring constantly, until roux is dark red-brown, 3-5 minutes; don't let roux scorch and don't get it on your skin!
• 7 remove from heat and stir in half the combined vegetables; stir for 3 minutes while the roux cools down; set aside.
• 8 gravy: bring the stock to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan; gradually whisk in roux and stir until incorporated; bring mixture to a rolling boil; reduce heat to low; continue stirring and simmer another 15 minutes; gravy should be very thick; set aside.
• 9 finish: in a large skillet, melt 2-3 t butter over very low heat; stir in remaining chopped vegetables and sauté 10-12 minutes, until completely wilted stirring occasionally; add the reserved gravy and the dry seasoning mix; simmer another 15 minutes and stir often.
• 10 in a 4-quart saucepan, melt the remaining 2-3 t butter; sauté the green onions 2 minutes; add the chicken and gravy and bring to a boil over medium heat; remove from heat and set aside for 15 minutes.
• 11 skim oil off surface of etouffee; reheat, adding more stock if needed to thin the gravy; for each plate place 1/2 cup rice, pour on 1/3 cup sauce, and top with 2 pieces of chicken; serve immediately.