Chicken bog falls somewhere between toad in the hole and blood pudding on the spectrum of unfortunate culinary names, but don’t let that stop you from discovering the pleasures of this classic Lowcountry comfort food. Chicken bog is named for its soupy, porridge-like quality in which chunks of tender, pulled chicken are “bogged down” in rich broth. It’s like the love child of chicken-rice soup and Italian risotto, with the addition of the signature smoky flavor good-quality sausage delivers.
Food & Drink
Lowcountry Chicken Bog
Chicken and rice come together for a marriage in comfort-food heaven—and a hearty one-pot meal
Photo: Jacqueline Stofsick, Food Styling: Phillip Rhodes
Ingredients
-
1 (3 1/2- to 4-pound) whole chicken
1 carrot, cut into chunks
1 celery stalk, cut into chunks
1 large Vidalia onion, cut in half
1 tsp. black peppercorns
Bouquet garni (1 sprig fresh thyme, 1 sprig fresh flat-leaf parsley, and 1 fresh bay leaf, tied together with kitchen twine or a leek or green-onion skin)
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
6 oz. smoked sausage, diced
1 cup Carolina Gold rice, rinsed until the water runs clear
1 tsp. paprika (Optional, to add extra smoky flavor)
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
Place the chicken and neck in a 4-quart saucepan or stockpot with the carrot and celery. (Discard liver and gizzard or reserve for another use.) Cut one onion half into chunks and add it to the pot. Add the peppercorns and bouquet garni and fill the pan with water to just cover chicken. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the heat and, using tongs, transfer the chicken to a platter.
Strain the broth and discard the solids. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the carcass, shredding it with your fingers or two forks. Discard the bones and neck.
Dice the remaining onion half. Return the pan to the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add the butter, diced onion, and sausage, reduce the heat to medium, and sauté for 5 minutes, until the onion softens and the sausage begins to brown slightly.
Add the rice and stir to coat it with the fat; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add 1 quart of the reserved broth, the paprika (if using), salt, and pepper, and stir to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the shredded chicken and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 30 minutes, until the rice is cooked through, stirring a few times. Remove from the heat. Remove the lid and stir the rice to separate the grains. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Add additional warm broth ½ cup at a time for a moister dish if you like. Cool the remaining broth, then freeze it for another use.
Recipe from The Southerner’s Cookbook
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