Country Captain Chicken

I own a well used copy of The New York Times Cookbook dated 1961. It includes a recipe for Country Captain, a vaguely Indian chicken preparation. The name and dish seemed very exotic at the time. The March issue of Bon Appetit includes an updated version. Instead of 1 1/2 teaspoons of curry powder, a mix of Indian spices is roasted and ground. I was eager to try it but changed the vegetables used to ones I had on hand. Shitake mushrooms may not be very Indian but they taste delicious. I also simplified things by reducing the number of browning steps and eliminating some ingredients. Even if you don't have all the spices called for or prefer spices that are already ground, please do try the dish. It keeps wonderfully, providing a few days of Country Captain eating. Brown basmati rice is a perfect accompaniment.

Spice Mixture:

1 1/2 tsp. coriander seeds

1 tsp. fennel seeds

1 tsp. cumin seeds

1/2 tsp. whole black peppercorns

3 whole cloves

1/4 tsp. cardamom seeds (from 3 whole green cardamom pods)

1 1/2 inch piece cinnamon stick

1/2 tsp. turmeric

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Chicken:

2 tbl. peanut or vegetable oil

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2 inch pieces

Salt, to taste

28 oz. can crushed tomatoes with added puree

1/3 cup dried cherries, finely chopped

1 tbl. smooth peanut butter

1 bunch carrots, scraped and sliced

1/2 lb. shitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced

For spice mixture:

Place coriander seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, cloves, cardamom seeds and cinnamon stick in small dry skillet. Stir over medium heat until fragrant and slightly darker in color, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; cool. Finely grind spices in spice mill or in mortar with pestle. Transfer to small bowl and add turmeric and cayenne.

For chicken:

Heat oil in heavy large deep pot over medium high heat. Add onion, ginger and garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add ground spice mixture and stir for 15 seconds. Add chicken pieces, sprinkle with salt and saute until chicken is lightly browned on all sides and coated with spice vegetable mixture. Add crushed tomatoes, bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer, covered for 5 minutes. Stir in dried cherries and peanut butter. Add carrots and mushrooms. Return pot to boiling, reduce heat and simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Serves 6