Chez commemorated the Battle of Chickamauga from an all Southern perspective and for the brunch, Chez picked Country Captain Soup… a zesty soup that is based on a chicken and curry stew popular in the South. The origin of its name is unclear, but according to one account, it was brought to Savannah in the early 1800s by a sea captain who traveled the spice route from India. Give it a try but stick to the recipe. All of the ingredients are important and bring something to the dish, even the apple and the currants.- Chez
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 6 skinless boneless chicken thighs (about 1 1/4 pounds), cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 4 cups (or more) canned chicken broth
• 2 cups canned diced peeled tomatoes with juices
• 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta; also called riso)
• 2 tablespoons dried currants
• Fresh cilantro
• Sour cream
Heat oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic; sauté until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add chicken, curry powder, ginger and crushed red pepper; stir 2 minutes. Add 4 cups broth, tomatoes and apple and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.)
Stir orzo and currants into soup and simmer until orzo is just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with cilantro and dollop of sour cream.
