The first time I tasted Indian food was in the late 1970s at newly-opened restaurant in a strip shopping center near Emory University, where I went to college.
It was a revelation. The spices were unbelievably delicious -- and familiar.
Familiar? To a Jewish girl who grew up in south Georgia in the 1950s and 60s?
Here’s the rub. I didn’t just grow up in south Georgia. I grew up 30 miles from the coast and 60 miles from Savannah, GA.
My favorite entrée in the world, my mother’s barbecued chicken, had curry as a key ingredient. The entire house was fragrant with spices whenever she made that dish. It may seem exotic for the place and time but it really was not.
Savannah is a port and its cuisine was highly influenced by the spices that were brought in by ships from all over the world. Those ships carried rum, molasses, fruit and, tragically, slaves. The African slaves added their own cooking heritage to the cuisine.
One of the most famous dishes from the area is called Country Captain. There are many versions of its history, but the New York Times recently recited this version: “…it was the favorite recipe of an English skipper who served in Bengal and introduced the dish to friends in Savannah.”
Country Captain is a braised chicken dish with curry, almonds and raisins or currants. It is quite different from my mother’s barbecued chicken but shared some ingredients and possibly some provenance.
(As long as you braise the chicken in something more acceptable than bacon fat, Country Captain also can be a useful entrée in kosher cooking. The longer it warms, the better it tastes. It works extremely well for Yom Tov or even Shabbos, for those who hold by warming.)
Growing up, we spent a lot of time on the coast, and I became very familiar with the food. We traveled the hour to Savannah not only to attend synagogue but also for specialist doctor’s appointments, entertainment and shopping for items that were not available in my small town. We headed 40 miles the other direction, to Brunswick, GA, to dine on fresh fish or to go to the beach at Saint Simons or Jekyll Island. We learned to love the coastal cuisine, spices and all.
Our housekeeper, Potty, had grown up in the area and knew how to make many of the dishes we loved. She was an amazingly talented cook and figured out how to make many traditional Southern foods appropriate for a Jewish family.
Of course, there was her basic philosophy: If a little pepper is good, a lot most be better. My husband Marc still complains that I have a tendency to use too much pepper in mashed potatoes and vegetables.
My mother, meanwhile, loved to collect recipes and pulled many of her favorites from local cookbooks as well as national magazines.
I don’t know where she found the barbecued chicken recipe, which isn’t barbecued at all but is cooked in the oven. Here it is with some of my slight variations:
Brush two cut-up chickens with oil and sprinkle with salt, unless you are using already-salted kosher chicken. Sprinkle on two cloves of garlic thinly sliced.
Bake for one-half hour at 350 degrees.
Meanwhile, sauté a large onion (Vidalias work extremely well) in canola oil in a large pot. When the onion is cooked as you like it (slightly charred works for me), begin to add the liquids and spices.
Start with 2 and one-half cups of tomato juice. (Tomato juice sometimes can be difficult to find with a reliable hechsher or kosher symbol. Your best bet is grocery store brands such as Publix.)
Stir in two tablespoons of white vinegar and one-half teaspoon of salt.
Then begin to add the spices. The amounts are from my mother’s original recipe although I tend to go heavier on them:
¼ teaspoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon curry power
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon hot sauce such as Tabasco
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
Let all of this simmer together for 15 minutes. If you house smells less than fabulous and you’re not drooling, you must have left something out.
Pour the sauce over the chicken and let it cook for another hour to hour and a half, basting the chicken frequently.
If some of the skin or onions get too brown, that makes it even better.
The sauce is especially delicious on mashed potatoes or couscous.
Like Country Captain, the barbecued chicken is wonderful rewarmed.
Below is a Country Captain Chicken recipe from Diana Rattray, who has a great southern food site on about.com. I’ve altered it slightly to get rid of the bacon, suggesting a touch of smoked paprika to replace the smokiness.
Ingredients:
• 1 broiler chicken, about 3 pounds, cut in parts
• Canola oil or chicken fat
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 2 teaspoons Madras curry powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves
• 1 cup chicken broth, hot
• 1/2 cup currants or raisins
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup slivered toasted almonds
Preparation:
Add chicken parts and fat to the pan; cook for about 15 minutes, turning, or until browned. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper; transfer to an ovenproof dish and keep warm.
To pan drippings, add celery, onion, bell pepper, and garlic; cook, stirring, until onion is transparent, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, smoked paprika, curry powder, thyme and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Place currants in a small bowl, pour hot chicken broth over them; let stand for 20 minutes or until plump.
Return chicken to the pan; cover and cook for 20 minutes. Add currants and broth; cover and cook for another 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Sprinkle with parsley, and toasted almonds. Serve on rice.
Serves 4.
Just a bit more of Country Captain lore; President Franklin Roosevelt became a fan of the dish when he spent time in Warm Springs, GA, where he took spa treatments for his polio-induced paralysis. Gen. George S. Patton supposedly visited him there and also fell in love with Country Captain.
Believe it or not, in honor of Gen. Patton, the Pentagon in 2000 made Country Captain one of the packaged M.R.E.’s, or Meals Ready to Eat, for soldiers in the field.
I’m not sure if they created a kosher version of it, but that is quite easy to do.
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