Smothered Sticky Chicken

Bliss Grady has tweaked this one to her liking over time. The trick is the trinity — onion, peppers and celery cooked down with butter and brown sugar for the better part of an hour until it browns properly. That's where the color and the stickiness come from.

Ingredients

Smothered sticky chicken

• 2½ pounds bone-in chicken thighs
• Cajun seasoning (Slap Ya Mama)
• Dried mustard
• White pepper
• Dijon or spicy mustard
• Splash of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil, or extra virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 green bell pepper, or 1½ cups Guidry's
• 2 stalks celery
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 stick butter
• ¼ cup brown sugar (sugar in the raw)
• Water
• Small spoonful chicken bouillon, Mexican or regular

White rice

• 1 cup rice
• 2 cups water
• Butter
• Salt

Instructions

1. Marinate the chicken. In a bowl, season the chicken well with the Cajun seasoning, dried mustard, white pepper, and Worcestershire. Add a little spicy mustard and coat the chicken well. Set aside to marinate for an hour.
2. Brown the chicken. Meanwhile, dice the onion, peppers, and celery and mince the garlic. When the chicken is done marinating, heat the oil in a pot. When it's hot, place the chicken in skin side down and cook over medium heat until it releases itself from the pan, about 5 to 6 minutes. Flip, brown a little more, then remove.
3. Cook down the vegetables. In the same pot, add the butter, diced vegetables, and sugar. Sauté over medium heat for 45 minutes to an hour, until browned really well. Add the garlic at the end and sauté a couple more minutes.
4. Simmer. Add the chicken back in with enough water to almost cover it. Add the bouillon and let it simmer until it thickens, about an hour.
5. Serve. Check for seasoning and serve over rice.
6. White rice. Add the rice, water, butter, and salt to a small pot. Bring to a rolling boil. Stir, put the heat on low, and cover. Steam 15 to 20 minutes. If your lid doesn't have a vent hole, leave a small crack between the lid and pot.

Recipe Notes

• From Bliss: I've tweaked this recipe to my liking.