Since the fall season is upon us, more people will be cooking heavier comfort foods. One type of cooking that comes to mind is smothered dishes. I always find that they taste better when there is a slight chill in the air. The only exception to that rule is when I cook Étouffée, which in French means to smother. I could eat étouffée a couple of times a week, no matter what the season.
Today, I want to share with you two main dish smothered recipes. The first one is a good dish to cook when you have other things you need to do, Smothered Cajun Seven Steak. The second one doesn’t take nearly as long to prepare, Smothered Chicken Fricassee. They are both welcomed at the family dinner table. Gather up your ingredients, and Let’s head to the kitchen!
Smothered Cajun Seven Steak
The seven steak is from the chuck section of a steer. The bone is shaped like the number seven, giving its name. It’s not your traditional steak since it requires a long slow cooking to bring out it’s tenderness. I think everyone will agree that the taste was worth the wait.
2 (1 1/2-pounds each) seven steaks
Creole seasoning
1/3 cup canola oil
1 large onion, sliced in rings
1 medium bell pepper, thinly sliced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups beef stock
Hot cooked rice
Evenly season steaks with Creole seasoning. Heat oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat; add steaks and brown well on both sides. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.Add onion and bell pepper to the pan drippings, sauté until softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic; sauté until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Deglaze with beef stock; add steaks, return to a simmer. Cover with lid, reduce heat to low and cook 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until fork tender, stirring often. Serve over hot cooked rice.
Smothered Chicken Fricassee
There’s not much difference between smothering and fricassee. A fricassee has more liquid to the finished dish. Often, in Cajun country, they use these words interchangeably. It’s just like the Italian dish Shrimp Scampi. Scampi is Italian for large shrimp.
1 (4-pound) chicken, cut into pieces
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 small bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dark roux
2 cups chicken stock
Creole seasoning
2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
Dumplings (recipe to follow)
Season chicken evenly with Creole seasoning; dredge in flour.
Heat oil in a Dutch oven to medium heat. Add chicken; brown pieces evenly on all sides. Remove from pot and drain on paper towels. Increase heat to medium-high; add onion, bell pepper, and garlic to pan drippings and sauté for 10 minutes. Add roux and stir until completely dissolved. Add stock, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 5 minutes. Taste; adjust seasonings with Creole seasoning.
Return chicken to pot; mix well. Return to a simmer. Cover with lid; reduce heat to low and simmer 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken to a large bowl; keep warm.
Increase heat to medium-low and return gravy to a simmer. Drop dumpling dough, by the spoonful, into simmering gravy; simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until dumplings are cooked. Serve hot over chicken.
Dumplings
2 cups baking mix (Bisquick)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2/3 cup milk
Gently mix ingredients just until dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and reserve until needed.
Whenever I start thinking about my main dish, I always think about the side dish or dishes I would serve with them. I think a perfect side for both of these would be smothered potatoes. Follow that with ice cream smothered with hot fudge and you have a wonderful smothered meal.
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