Saturday, September 24, 2011

Getting Bogged Down...In A Good Way!

Bogs are common throughout the country. Some areas have bogs where cranberries are harvested, others have bogs where spaghnum peat moss is produced. In fact, any low, wet area could be called a bog. In the South, however, there are only two kinds of bogs that interest us; mud bogs and chicken bogs. Since this is a cooking site, and you probably aren't interested in mud grips, winches, and tractor pulls, I'm gonna tell ya about a great Southern, one pot dish called Chicken Bog.



Chicken Bog is a great dish for weekend crowds, cookouts, camping trips, or taking to a friend layed up after surgery (which is why I made this pot). It's considered a stew by some, and is native to the Lowcountry and Pee Dee regions of South Carolina. Consisting of rice, spicy sausage, and tender chicken, it's a complete meal in a pot!


In addition, Chicken Bog is often used for fund raisers, and you'll be hard pressed to find a barbecue joint that doesn't offer it on the buffet. It's not only easy to make, but to make LOTS of. Just be sure to use a heavy bottomed stock pot so you don't burn it.


The defining factor for good chicken bog, is moist, greasy (hence the bacon) rice. While greasy hair may be a turnoff (unless you're an Alabama fan), greasy chicken bog is highly desireable, so be sure to err on the wet side when measuring your broth. Unlike rice pilaf or pilau, chicken bog should clump to your fork when eating.

HINT: If you're short on time, use a rotisserie chicken and low sodium broth from the store.

September is #ricelove month, so if you love rice, be sure to join this blog hop started by Junia at Mis Pensamientos!


Chicken Bog

Ingredients:
1 (3-5lb) Chicken cut or shredded
1 lb Smoked, Polish, or Kielbasa Sausage cut in small pieces
8 Cups Chicken Broth
4 Cups Long Grain Rice
3 Slices bacon (raw) cut into pieces
1 Small Onion diced (optional)
salt & pepper to taste
(diced carrots & herbs of choice if making homemade broth)

Crushed Red Pepper or Sriracha when serving if you like it spiced up!

Instructions:
Pour broth into a large, heavy stock pot. Season to taste, then add rice and bring to a boil.
De-bone chicken and shred or cut into pieces.
Add chicken, sausage, onion,  and bacon to broth. Stir good, then turn burner to low, cover pot, and cook for 30 minutes or just until rice is tender.

Chicken Bog freezes great, so if you have a big stock pot, make a double batch and put some up for an easy meal when you're pressed for time!



18 comments:

  1. this looks awesome alan! wonderful comfort food :). welcome to our #ricelove bloghop! don't forget to add your post to the linky tool! :D

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  2. Alan, so happy you joined #ricelove so yay!! This rice dish looks so delicious and comforting even though it got bacon in it.lol I completely understand what you mean it should clump I can taste the sensation!! & about that conditional love, umm will deal with that later! :)

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  3. Yeah I would love a plateful! Mmmm. Looks delish, Alan!!

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  4. you make gorgeous food..I'm so intrigued by this dish, they look delicately delicious..:)
    Tasty Appetite

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  5. Yay for #ricelove! You should be proud of me, I cooked bacon tonight for dinner :) I'm babysitting my cousins and they requested scrambled eggs with bacon. I did add a chopped onion without telling them ;)

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  6. Just like your momma used to make! This is one of Shelley's favorites!

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  7. This Chicken Bog is perfect for the Blog Hop and Rice Love event!It looks luscious! Glad you hopped in...so much fun to cook along with you, Alan! Cheers!

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  8. This sounds so hearty and delicious Alan. I love the addition of the sausage!

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  9. Sausage Rice with bacon! 'nuff said! Glad you hopped on! #ricelove

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  10. Bacon love, blog love... LOVE LOVE LOVE <3 'Nuff said!

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  11. One of the things I love about moving to the South, all the food! There are so many dishes I have never heard of, or have been dying to try:-) This sounds fantastic, my hubby would love this:-) Thank you for sharing! Hugs, Terra

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  12. Is it right that I am laughing? I am so loving this! Great Southern comfort food at its best and it reminds me of something I ate a long time ago and loved.

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  13. So happy you're celebrating Rice Love with us! I've been here looking at this wonderful dish a few times, but you know I yack a lot and I do not like rushing my comments, LOL.

    I know I am going to like Chicken Bog!

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  15. Alan,

    I absolutely love your introduction to this post (as an English teacher and former journalist, the "hook" is everything)--and you hooked me with the bog references. Really nice.

    You know from Twitter that I'm a pescetarian, but I'll pass along this recipe to friends and family. I also appreciate the photos on this post as well.

    Liked you on Facebook! See you on Foodiechat!

    Best,

    Alaiyo (a_kiasi)

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  16. Chicken bog is an old southern favorite. It is not bog without the sausage. My dad used to cook it in a hug, cast iron pot outside (washpot). Everyone is our community would come over and eat it. We also had collards and ruttabegas to go with it along with the fried cornbread cakes.

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  17. Well, gee. I just learned about chicken bog a couple of weeks ago, and I'm just a little stunned. Despite what that recent "Tasty" video showed about jambalaya - this right here - this chicken bog is pretty much a south Louisiana, cajun (not Creole) jambalaya! Amazing how people in different places end up with almost the same dishes. (And down here between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, it's also a community event, with cooks using huge - 10 to 30 gallon - cast iron pots!) - https://parapetsafety.wordpress.com/2015/03/11/the-jambalaya-chronicles/

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Thanks for visiting. I appreciate your comments and suggestions. :-)