Chicken Sauce Piquante

Here's a traditional New Orleans dish for the slow cooker in all it's peppery glory. This is perfect spooned over white rice.

I get a little carried away when meat goes on sale for 99 cents a pound or less. I seem to have several big beautiful Perdue chickens that I have acquired in that fashion.

Chicken Sauce Piquante
4 servings
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1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds) cut into 8 pieces
1 tablespoon of your favorite Creole Seasoning, I like Emeril's
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
3/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 jalapeno chile, minced, more if you like
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 bay leaves
One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and juice reserved
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Steamed white rice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley for garnish

1. Add the chicken pieces to a large mixing bowl and season all over with the creole seasoning. Add the flour and mix well until the chicken is evenly coated. Shake the chicken to remove any excess flour, then set it aside on a plate.

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces to the pan, in batches if necessary, and cook until golden grown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer the browned chicken pieces to the crock of a 6-quart slow cooker.

3. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and jalapeno to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to incorporate the crowned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic, crushed red pepper, thyme, cayenne, and bay leaves and cook for 1 minute longer. Add the tomatoes, breaking them up into pieces with the spoon, the tomato paste, Worcestershire, sugar, and salt. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved tomato juice and bring to a simmer. Cook for 1 minute, then transfer the hot sauce to the slow cooker. Cover and cook the chicken on low until tender, about 3 hours. Remove bay leaves.

4. Serve over steamed rice and garnish with parsley.