Sam Sanders Mama’s Smothered Chicken
I’m thrilled to have journalist and podcast host Sam Sanders join me this week on Your Mama’s Kitchen. Sam is host of Vibe Check on SiriusXM and The Sam Sanders Show on KCRW and NPR—where we worked together back in the day!
This conversation made me laugh and cry and drop my jaw in surprise. It reminded me of the healing power of a good meal, and how the kitchen has such a strong hold on our hearts even through the toughest of times.
Sam had all of us in our feelings when he shared this story of how preparing smothered chicken brought him and his mother peace and a dollop of joy during a very difficult time. As Sam explains in this clip, his mother suffered a stroke that left her partially paralyzed. He became her primary caregiver, and the stress and pain of her condition — both physical and emotional — placed a strain on both of them.
One day, Sam’s mom had a hankering for one of her favorite dishes from childhood. Their attempt at making it together — she with one arm and Sam with no written recipe or experience — is one of the most beautiful stories I’ve ever heard.
It’s not the first time we’ve had tears on the show, but this one really got me.
Sam, thank you for your honesty, your humor, and your storytelling. We are all the better for it. 🧡
Watch our full conversation now on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts. 🎧
Listen, and as always, let us know whatcha think!
Ingredients3 chicken legs and 3 chicken thighs with skin
½ cup oil
1 large onion chopped
3 tablespoon of the seasoned flour mentioned below
SEASONING THE FLOUR:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon black pepper powder
A dash of paprika and cayenne pepper
A sprinkle of garlic salt
1 pat of butter
INSTRUCTIONS
Wash and pat chicken dry with paper towel.
Seasoned flour (salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, or whichever seasonings you like).
Reserve about 3 to 4 tablespoons of the seasoned flour
Dredge chicken in remaining flour and add to hot oil in cast iron skillet
Cook both sides until golden. Remove from pan. Add one sliced onion and cook on low/medium until onions soften. Add the reserved flour and stir while browning. Add water or broth. Cook until incorporated adding additional seasonings, as needed. Add a pat of butter. Add chicken back to the skillet.
Cover the pan and let cook or put in oven (350 degrees) to finish cooking.
I always spoon the gravy over the chicken while cooking.
ENJOY!
Michele’s Kitchen Notes
First lets begin by noting that smothered chicken is one of the best Soulfood dishes on the planet. It is the very definition of comfort food.
As you heard in this episode, Sam found comfort making this dish with his mother when she was ailing after a stroke, and they had no written recipe. She walked him through the process. So we had to begin with him, recalling that recipe by memory without measurements or precise instructions. But because I grew up eating smothered chicken (it was one of my father‘s specialties) I was able to check with family members and various recipes to come up with an approximation of the measurements and the steps. You might wanna have a little chicken stock on hand for the gravy if it starts to stick or if you need to stretch it a bit.
Gravy is very personal. Some people like it a bit thin others like it thick and almost clumpy so you’ll have to decide what works best for you and that may depend on whether you’re serving it over rice or mashed potatoes or as a standalone dish.
It’s best to work with chicken that is not straight from the fridge. Take it out 20 to 30 minutes before you get going. Make sure the chicken is nice and dry and I would hit it with a little sea salt or kosher salt before you dredge it in the flower to help it crisp up.
You can also add a lot more seasoning to the flower. I hit mine with a little bit of paprika, maybe some cayenne pepper or garlic salt and the Back of the Yards seasoning from Spice House that goes in almost everything I make. Cumin would be interesting in small doses. And you can’t go wrong with Fine Herbs or Herbs de Provence.
Some people also like to add very thinly sliced pieces of celery to give it a little bit of heft, and the celery also lends a very nice flavor. Thinly sliced garlic with the onions is also a bomb addition. Just make sure the garlic doesn’t burn.
Some people also add bell peppers. That is an entire NO for me. In my judgment, green peppers take over everything like a greedy kid at the playground. And red peppers make it a bit too sweet. But that’s just me. Follow your own judgment. I have added a little bit of carrots sometimes, especially in the winter and that can be delicious.
Don’t work too fast on this. You want the chicken to get a little bit of a crisp on it, but you also wanna make sure that it’s done all the way through. I suggest using dark meat for this dish, but if you’re using breasts, you might wanna cut them in half and you definitely need to take your time for that. They just take longer to cook.
I always sprinkle my smothered chicken with a little bit of chopped herbs because it just adds a nice little lift and it certainly makes it look pretty
Because smothered chicken is a close cousin to fricassee, some people also hit it with a little filè powder.
Enjoy!
