Smothered Chicken

Once upon a time I got a new cast iron skillet for Christmas (2018) and the very first recipe I cooked in it was smothered chicken.  From that moment on I was sold on both the pan and the recipe.  Don't get me wrong....cast iron cookware is a PITA...but man it cooks like nothing else!  This recipe is based on The Lady and Son's smothered chicken in Savannah that your father tried once when we were passing through.   The recipe makes an interesting "sawmill-ish" gravy.  

Ingredients:

Flour

4 pieces bone-in, skin on chicken breasts or thighs (I cut large chicken breasts in half to fit better in the pan and they are easier to handle that way).  

1/2 stick butter

1 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 1/2 cups whole milk

water or chicken stock 

Salt

Pepper

Garlic Powder

Preparation:

Add about a cup of flour to a dish and stir in 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

If using large chicken breasts, use a good knife to cut them in half.   Then coat each piece of chicken in the flour, shaking off extra.

Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet that will fit all of the chicken pieces.  

Cook the chicken until brown on each side, about 4-5 minutes per side.

Remove chicken to a paper towel lined plate.

Add onions and peppers to the pan and cook about 4-5 minutes until soft.  

Stir in 3 tablespoons of seasoned flour mixture until incorporated well and then slowly add the milk, stirring constantly.

Stir in 1/2 cup of water or chicken stock, stirring until it becomes creamy but not too thick.

Add chicken back to the pan, spooning sauce over each piece.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

 (If the sauce gets too thick during cooking, add in additional water and milk)