Southern Family Recipes

Brooke Thompson
October 4, 2017

Whether it’s the smell of Nana’s fried chicken, blueberry pancakes every Saturday morning, or hot chocolate with melting marshmallows, fond memories are often associated with culinary delights. Food is an integral part of culture and history, and it always evokes memories. A few Georgia Southern students have shared their favorite family recipes that remind them of home:

Arroz con Pollo

Courtesy of Micaiah Watson, senior interdisciplinary studies major

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of olive oil
4 chicken thighs
4 chicken drumsticks
2 teaspoons of salt
½ teaspoon of fresh-ground black pepper
2 ounces of smoked ham, cut into ¼-inch dice
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 ¾ cups of canned tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
2 cups of canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
1 cup of rice, preferably long-grain

Directions:

In a large, deep frying pan, heat the oil over moderately-high heat. Season the chicken with ¼ teaspoon of salt and pepper each. Cook the chicken, turning it until it is well-browned, for about 8 minutes total. Then remove it and pour out all but two tablespoons of the fat from the pan.

Reduce the heat to moderately-low. Add the ham, onion, and garlic to the pan and cook while stirring occasionally until the onion starts to soften (about two minutes). Add the bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften for three more minutes.

Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, and the remaining 1 ¾ teaspoons of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper and bring to a simmer. Stir in the rice and add the chicken in an even layer. Simmer, partially covered, over moderately-low heat until the chicken and rice are just done (20 to 25 minutes). Sprinkle with parsley.