HELL FIRE CHICKEN (translates to Mom’s Cajun Red Devil Chicken)
She could hear the tone in Aunt Nita’s voice from the hallway before she’d even turned the corner into the kitchen. She was letting Aunt Nelly name all her dinner dishes after the “devil.” She knew this was going to be one of those long afternoons in the kitchen.
“Nelly, why does everything on this menu mention the devil?” Red Devil Chicken, Deviled Eggs, Deviled Foods Chocolate Cake. Maybe we better invite the local priest so he can perform an exorcism BEFORE we sit the family down to eat these things. This family already has enough challenges.
I could tell this was the start of a very HOT conversation. None of the aunts stopped for breath to acknowledge my presence. No greetings, no offers of a cookie and some milk, not even a nod in my direction. I didn’t know whether to be offended or grateful.
“Well, Miss Juanita, I guess that’s the same reason why everything you cook refers to heaven, or has some kind of religious connotation!” Things like, “Heavenly Hash, Angel Food Cake, Angel Kissed Cookies, and let’s not forget, Heaven’s Perfect Pot Roast.”
Yeah, things were getting HOT and stuffy in the kitchen this afternoon and it had nothing to do with the 101 degree weather outside, or the sunlight streaming through the kitchen windows. The argument got really spicy until my grandfather walked in and asked what he was cooking that he smelled so good and was causing such a commotion BEFORE he had time to mix with his sores.
The aunts continued through the dinner menu in near silence, except for an occasional grunt. When dinner was served that night, my grandfather (while winking at me) would surely mention how wonderful and almost “heavenly” this HELL FIRE CHICKEN tasted.
HELL FIRE CHICKEN
1 large deep fryer (cut into serving portions)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 strips of bacon
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3/4 cup flour (in a gallon bag)
1 large tomato (peeled and diced)
1/2 cup red bell pepper (chopped)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 small jalapeno pepper (chopped)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1/2 cup yellow bell pepper (chopped)
1 tablespoon hot sauce (Red Devil) (you can use your favorite brand)
1/2 cup celery (chopped)
1 small yellow onion (chopped)
1/4 teaspoon paprika
salt to taste
1 1/2 tsp dried/crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup chicken broth (you can use canned)
Wash and dry the chicken pieces. Place 3 pieces at a time in the baggie with the flour and shake well until well coated. Set chicken aside on a plate and let rest. Place a large skillet on the stove over medium heat or medium flame. After the pan is hot, add the 3 strips of bacon. Cook until bacon is crisp, remove bacon from pan. Add the chicken pieces to the skillet over medium heat. Brown the chicken on all sides. (Brown well, turning often. You want the golden, crispy morsels that stick to the bottom of the pan) After the chicken is browned, remove it from the pan and set it aside. Add to the pan, in this order, stirring after each addition, making sure to scrape up any brown morsels in the bottom of the pan, bell pepper (yellow and red), salt to taste, celery, onion, jalapeño pepper, garlic, tomato, tomato paste, cumin, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, parsley, and chicken broth. Stir the ingredients well once more, turn the heat to a simmer, place a lid on the pan, and let cook for about 12 minutes, stirring frequently. Keep the lid on the pan between stirring. Finally add the chicken back to the pan. Pour sauce over top of chicken, simmer 1/2 hour with lid on or until chicken begins to pull away from the bone. Place on a plate with the crumbled bacon on top to serve. Ummmm Ummmm, your taste buds will have a party!
This is served with buttered wide noodles, a mound of rice, or buttered grits. Oh yeah, pour me something cold and tall to drink with this meal. ENJOY.
from a collection “Tastebud Tidbit’s” by: Joyce M. Edwards
