Chicken Saute a la Creole

This is Creole cooking at its most honest. A whole chicken cut into pieces, dredged in seasoned flour, browned until golden in a skillet, then simmered low and slow in a sauce built from sieved tomatoes, green bell peppers, onions, garlic, and basil.

Browning the chicken first is what gives this dish its backbone. That golden crust from the flour locks in flavor, and the drippings left behind in the pan become the foundation for the sauce. Saving those drippings to saute the onions and peppers means nothing gets wasted.

Sieved tomatoes give the sauce a smooth, velvety texture instead of the chunky stew you’d get from diced. After 30 to 40 minutes of covered simmering, the chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender and saturated with that Creole tomato flavor.

Serve this over steamed rice to soak up every drop of that sauce.

Kitchen Tips

• Use a shaker bag to coat the chicken evenly. It’s faster and more consistent than dredging by hand.
• Brown the chicken in batches if needed. Crowding the skillet drops the oil temperature and you get steamed chicken instead of a crispy crust.
• Keep the simmer low and gentle. A hard boil toughens the meat and breaks down the sauce too fast.
• Stir the sauce occasionally to prevent sticking on the bottom.

Variations

• Add a dash of cayenne pepper or hot sauce to the flour dredge for a spicier Creole kick.
• Stir in sliced okra during the last 15 minutes of simmering for a more traditional Louisiana touch.
• Use bone-in thighs instead of a whole chicken for richer, more forgiving dark meat.