Smothered Hen and Gravy Recipe

Serves: 4
Prep time: half-hour
Complete time: 2 hours

INGREDIENTS

4 hen drumsticks 
4 bone-in, pores and skin on hen thighs 
4 hen wings 
seasoning salt 
freshly floor black pepper 
1 tablespoon garlic powder 
1 tablespoon onion powder
½ cup|125 ml vegetable oil, or as wanted 
½ cup|75 grams finely chopped yellow onion 
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic 
2 tablespoons finely chopped celery 
2 (1-ounce|56.7 gram) packets Lipton dried onion soup mix
1 ½ teaspoons Kitchen Bouquet 
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder, or as wanted 
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper 
1 ¼ cups|170 grams all-purpose flour 
6 cups|1500 ml heat water 

DIRECTIONS

1. Season all of the hen items aggressively on all sides with a good coating of seasoning salt and black pepper. It ought to be a reasonably heavy coating of each. Then season the items with the garlic powder and onion powder. 
2. Place a big saucepan over medium-high warmth and heat the vegetable oil. When the oil is shimmering, add all of the hen items in a single layer; they need to sizzle the second they hit the pan. Let the hen cook dinner, keeping track of the warmth and adjusting it if wanted to verify they don’t burn, till absolutely browned on the underside, about 10 minutes. As soon as browned, flip them over, including extra oil as wanted, and cook dinner the second facet till golden brown, one other 6 minutes or so. The hen will end cooking within the gravy, so there’s no want to fret about it being cooked via at this level. Switch the hen items to a big plate and put aside. 
3. Flip the warmth to medium-low; add the chopped onion, garlic, and celery; and cook dinner, stirring, simply till softened, about 2 minutes. Add the soup combine, Kitchen Bouquet, bouillon powder, and cayenne and stir to combine properly. Then add the flour and cook dinner, whisking continuously, till this roux is properly combined and good and toasted, about 3 minutes. (If the roux is getting clumped inside your whisk, add slightly extra oil to assist it whisk extra easily.) Add the water, about ½ cup|125 ml at a time and whisking continuously, till you have got a free, pretty pourable gravy, about 5 minutes. Style for seasoning and regulate with extra bouillon powder if wanted. Return the hen items in a single layer to the pan, submerging them within the gravy. Convey to a simmer, then cowl, flip the warmth to a low simmer, and cook dinner till the hen is totally tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. 
4. Serve instantly, with a scoop of mashed potatoes on the facet. (Leftover smothered hen will hold in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days.) 
   Reprinted with permission from “Bludso’s BBQ Cookbook: A Family Affair in Smoke and Soul.” Copyright © 2022 by Kevin Bludso. Images Copyright © 2022 by Eric Wolfinger. Printed by Ten Velocity Press, an imprint of Penguin Random Home.

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