From the Kitchen of The Cookworm

Chicken Bog

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken
• 1 gallon of water
• 4 tablespoons of salt
• 8-10 whole peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 onion ¼ inch dice
• 3 stalks of celery ¼ inch dice
• 1 pound of smoked beef sausage ¼ inch dice
• 3 cups of rice

Instructions

Put the chicken in a cast iron dutch oven or if you don't have that, very large stockpot and cover with water, add salt peppercorns, garlic powder and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce to a high simmer, cover and cook for 1-2 hours. Remove the chicken to a sheet pan to cool. Strain the broth into a mixing bowl and throw away the peppercorns keep the broth for later.

Once the chicken is cooled, pick the chicken off the bones and shred the meat. In the same stock pot sauté the onion, celery and sausage until the onions are translucent. Add the rice, chicken and 5¼ cups to 6 cups* of the broth (if there isn’t enough broth, add water to come to the total cups you need). Stir well.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a good simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Do not open the pot and stir! After 20 minutes turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Then remove from the heat, gently stir and add lots of black pepper. Serve with hot sauce.

*Different rice cooks with different water measurements, use the measurements that you trust for your favorite rice.

**Consider your altitude as well. When I lived in Charleston, I cooked my rice with a 1 to 2 ratio rice to water.  In Seattle I use the same rice at a 1 to 1 ¾ ratio rice to water.

***Do not use converted or instant rice. That’s just wrong.