½teaspoonground black pepper - plus some for chicken
2bay leaves
Here's What You Do
Cut the chicken into serving pieces and sprinkle with Creole seasoning, kosher salt, and ground pepper, set aside.
Coarsely chop the yellow onion, bell pepper and celery; and place all in the same prep bowl. Smash the garlic; measure all the other ingredients, set aside.
Place about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.
Dredge seasoned chicken pieces in AP flour, shake off the excess and brown in the hot oil. Turn the pieces often to brown on all sides. This should be done in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan. Remove the chicken and set it aside.
Maintaining a medium heat, add ½ cup of vegetable oil to the Dutch oven. When the oil is shimmering, add ½ cup of AP flour.
Stir or whisk constantly to make a medium roux (peanut butter color), about 8 minutes.
Add the Trinity (yellow onions, bell peppers, and celery) to the roux and mix together to coat all of the vegetables with the roux.
Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring often until the onions are softened and beginning to get translucent.
Add the garlic and the Herb and Spice Blend (without the Bay Leaves). Stir to combine and simmer until aromatic, about 2 or 3 minutes.
Deglaze the bottom of the Dutch oven with about ½ cup of the white wine, making sure to mix all the fond into the gravy. Add the remaining wine and mix well.
Simmer the wine for about 5 minutes, then slowly add the about 4 cups of the chicken stock, 1 cup at a time; reserve the remaining stock to add later if the gravy is too thick.
Stir constantly as you add it to thoroughly blend the stock into the roux, making sure there are no lumps before adding more liquid.
Once all the liquid is mixed into the roux, increase the heat to high.
Add the bay leaves and maintain a medium boil for about 5 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally.
Add the chicken back to the Dutch oven. Stir to coated all the chicken with the gravy. Once the gravy returns to a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer and cover.
Simmer for 1 hour or until the chicken is falling off the bones, stirring regularly so the chicken does not stick.
About 15 minutes before the chicken is done, add the green onions and parsley to the Dutch oven. Stir to combine and simmer until finished. When ready, remove from the heat and stir the butter until melted.
If you want the gravy to be thicker, offset the lid while it simmers. If it is getting too thick, return the cover to the pot. Add the reserved stock if needed.
Serve over rice.
Notes
Read my article Cajun Smothered Chicken for more detailed instructions, step-by-step photos, FAQ, and Tips. Depending upon the size of the chicken pieces, you can cut the breasts in half so that all the pieces are relatively the same size. You can also use pre-cut chicken.You can use a store-bought rotisserie chicken in place of raw chicken. Remove the skin, debone and shred it into bite-size pieces, sprinkle with some Creole seasoning, and set it aside. Add the cooked, shredded chicken in the last 15 minutes before you finish with the green onions, parsley, and butter.You can use homemade stock in place of commercial stock. Follow my recipe for Homemade Chicken Stock. If your gravy thickens too much add some extra stock, more wine or even water to thin it out. If you want a thicker gravy, remove the lid or offset it to partially open while the gravy simmers. Leftover Smothered Chicken can be held in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or the freezer for 4 to 6 months in an airtight container or avacuum-sealed bag. Make sure the Smothered chicken cools down before storing. Reheat on the stove or the microwave after defrosting overnight in the fridge. Substitute the same quantity of butter or bacon grease for the vegetable oil. Serve Smothered Chicken over long-grain rice. It is also great over wide noodles, like egg noodles. Use a dry white table wine, like dry vermouth, chardonnay, or sauvignon blanc. Stay away from "cooking wines". You could also substitute dry sherry (this will affect the flavor profile a bit) for the dry white wine (1 for 1) or white wine vinegar (½ cup vinegar for 1 cup wine).