Cast Iron

Chicken in the Pot

by:
April 19, 2010
4.3
3 Ratings
Chicken in the Pot
  • Serves 4-6
Author Notes

My mom used to make a chicken dish that I just adored. I never had anything like it--the closest was a version of chicken scarpariello that a local restaurant used to serve. She got this recipe from one of the women who worked for us in the 1960's. (Have you read "The Help?" That was my mother's life.) When I asked her for the recipe, she said, "If I made this today, I'd have children flying in from out of state to eat." —drbabs

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 chicken, cut into parts, breasts cut into half (Or any combination of chicken parts you want; just cut the breasts in half so all the pieces are roughly the same size.)
  • 1 stick of butter
  • 1-2 teaspoons each, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika
  • 1/2-1 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
  • 6 cloves garlic, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1/4 cup dry sherry
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth or stock
Directions
  1. Dry chicken and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder onion powder and smoked paprika.
  2. In a cast iron dutch oven or large deep skillet (the "pot"), melt butter. When the butter is hot, add the chicken pieces a few at a time and brown well on all sides over medium-high heat. Set them aside as they are browned. (Do this in batches so the pieces aren't crowded. )
  3. Reduce heat to low. Stir garlic chunks into the butter and put the chicken pieces back into the pot. Cook, covered, for 30-45 minutes, opening the pot every 15 minutes or so and turning the pieces so that they cook well on all sides. When done, the chicken will be very brown and there will be a delicious pan drippings.
  4. Remove the chicken and keep warm. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour to the remaining pan drippings and cook till thickened. (You're essentially making a roux.) Stir in sherry and chicken broth and cook over low heat. You will have a thick sauce with chunks of garlic in it.
  5. Serve the chicken with rice and pass the sauce separately.
  6. Mashed potatoes are also nice with this. (My mother used to serve it with Minute Rice and canned baby peas, but you don't have to.)
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15 Reviews

Suzy
Suzy December 26, 2013
Thank you for sharing your families recipes, I will try.
 
healthierkitchen
healthierkitchen December 14, 2013
sounds just delicious!
 
ChefJune
ChefJune December 11, 2013
this sounds marvelous! Glad I saw it now. My growing up Chicken in the Pot was glorified Matzo Ball Soup!
 
drbabs
drbabs December 12, 2013
Oh, thanks, June! My mom will be thrilled.
 
Fabulous F.
Fabulous F. April 23, 2010
I guess the sherry doesn't count? LOL! My mom used to make this with "dumplings." These were made with beaten eggs mixed with flour, and a touch of salt. They were simmered off to the side and the gravy and chicken was placed on top. Yum, yum, yum.
 
drbabs
drbabs April 24, 2010
you're right--the sherry was my addition.
 
TheWimpyVegetarian
TheWimpyVegetarian April 23, 2010
This looks really yummy. And I'm so enjoying all the pictures everyone is posting!
 
drbabs
drbabs April 24, 2010
I know--isn't this great how everyone jumped in and found old recipes and added photos? This could be a cookbook in itself--taking an old family favorite and then updating it and including photos and stories.
 
Lizthechef
Lizthechef April 23, 2010
Where are you in the family photo?
 
drbabs
drbabs April 23, 2010
I'm just to the left of my mother. (Don't you love the hair?) This was some time in 1965 so I was 10 years old.
 
drbabs
drbabs April 23, 2010
I meant I'm on my mother's left--i'm to the right of her in the photo (sorry--directionally challenged.)
 
dymnyno
dymnyno April 19, 2010
I was joking about the "secret ingredient" from "The Help"...I KNOW that you didn't use it!!
 
drbabs
drbabs April 19, 2010
LOL--I forgot all about that!!!
 
dymnyno
dymnyno April 19, 2010
No "secret ingredients"? Sounds delicious...butter, garlic, chicken...yum!
 
drbabs
drbabs April 19, 2010
It was--I haven't tried to make it in ages (and I don't have her heavily seasoned cast iron skillet)--but I'm going to this week and hope to have photos. Funny you mention secret ingredients. I asked her if there was anything else--like did she deglaze the pan with wine? And she said, "Do you think I would give my children wine?"