LOW COUNTRY RECIPES SOUTH CAROLINA RECIPES

Steps:

• In a 6-quart stockpot, cook chicken in 2 cups broth over medium heat until a thermometer reads 170°, turning halfway through cooking. Remove chicken; set aside to cool. Add sausage, onion and remaining 6 cups broth to stockpot; bring to a boil. Add rice. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 15-18 minutes or until rice is almost tender (mixture may be soupy)., Shred chicken; add to rice. Cook, covered, until rice is tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Steps:

• Add chicken, broth, salt, pepper, paprika, thyme and bay leaf to a large pot or dutch oven.
• Roughly chop garlic cloves, onion and celery then add to the pot. 
• Cover pot then bring to a slow simmer over medium heat. Once broth is bubbling, reduce heat to low then cook, covered, for 2-3 hours, or until legs and thighs are pulling apart from the body and the chicken is very tender.
• Remove chicken from broth; set aside to cool. Strain broth into a large bowl or pitcher, discarding onion, garlic and any loose bones or skin; set broth aside.
• Once cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones from chicken then shred or cut chicken into bite-sized pieces.
• Cut sausage into bite-sized pieces.
• Melt butter in the (now empty) pot then sauté sausage and red pepper flakes for 8-10 minutes or until sausage is browned.
• Add reserved broth (should be about 8 cups) to pot with the sausage then stir well to deglaze the pot.
• Taste broth for seasoning then add more if desired. Bring broth to a boil.
• Once boiling, add rice and chicken.
• Bring to a gentle boil then cover, reduce heat to low or medium-low (wherever your dial gives you a gentle simmer) then cook for 20-25 minutes or until rice is tender.
• Stir rice once or twice with a fork to ensure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot but don’t overwork the rice. Don’t stir the rice or open the lid the last 5 minutes of cooking.
• Remove from heat then let rest, covered, for 10 minutes.