Country Captain facts for kids
Country captain
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| Type | Curry |
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| Place of origin | Indian subcontinent |
| Main ingredients | chicken, onions, curry powder; usually golden raisins and almonds |
Country captain is a tasty chicken and rice dish. It's a type of curry that's very popular in the Southern United States. This dish first came to the U.S. from the Indian subcontinent. It arrived through cities like Charleston and New York.
It was even a favorite food of General George S. Patton. Because of him, it was once part of the U.S. military's special food packs. Famous chefs like Bobby Flay and Atul Kochhar have cooked Country captain on TV shows. Chef Cyrus Todiwala even made it for Queen Elizabeth II!
Contents
What is Country Captain?
Country captain is a mild stew. It's made with pieces of browned chicken, onions, and curry powder. People often add almonds and sweet golden raisins to it. Many recipes also include tomatoes, garlic, and bell peppers.
This yummy dish is usually served over white rice. Most of the cooking happens in just one pot. Some people call it one of the first "fusion" dishes. This means it mixes cooking styles from different places. It blends Indian and British cooking traditions.
Where Did it Come From?
Country captain likely started in India. It was a simple recipe for chicken or game meat. British officers might have enjoyed it there a long time ago. One idea is that a British sea captain brought it to the American South. This might have happened in the early 1800s. He could have been working in the spice trade.
The "country" part of the name is interesting. Back then, "country" meant something was from India, not Britain. So, "country captain" might have meant a captain of Indian origin. Or it could have meant a trader along India's coasts. Another idea is that "captain" is a changed version of the word "capon" (a type of chicken).
In 1991, a writer named Molly O’Neill looked into the dish's history. She found that the recipe first appeared in a U.S. cookbook in 1857. It was in Miss Leslie’s New Cookery Book. The dish was also made in the kitchen of Alessandro Filippini. He was a chef in New York City in the 18th century.
Famous Fans and TV Appearances
Many famous people have enjoyed Country captain. President Franklin D. Roosevelt loved it. He discovered it while visiting Georgia. Roosevelt then introduced it to General George S. Patton. Patton liked it so much that it was added to the U.S. Army's special field rations in 2000. These are called Meal, Ready-to-Eat packs.
Lots of Southern chefs have their own Country captain recipes. These include Paul Prudhomme, Paula Deen, and Emeril Lagasse. The dish has also been on TV shows. It was featured on Throwdown! with Bobby Flay. Chef Atul Kochhar cooked it on the BBC show Saturday Kitchen.
Different Ways to Make It
Chef Cyrus Todiwala made a special version of Country captain on Saturday Kitchen. His recipe was a bit like shepherd's pie. He baked the meat under a layer of potato.
He had cooked this dish for Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh in 2012. This was part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. For that special meal, he used a rare type of lamb. This lamb came from the Orkney Islands and ate seaweed! You can even find this dish on the menu at Todiwala's London restaurant, Café Spice Namasté.
