Anonymous Tue May 23 19:34:58 2006

1 chicken -- 3.5-4.5 lb.

1/3 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

3 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 medium onions -- chopped

6 ounces lean smoked ham -- diced (opt)

4 cups chicken stock

1 can peeled whole tomatoes -- (28 oz.)

-- drained and

-- quartered

1 small green bell pepper -- diced

1 bay leaf

2 cups fresh shelled lima beans or

1 package frozen -- thawed (10 oz.)

2 cups corn kernels -- fresh or frozen

Cut chicken into 10 serving pieces: 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, 2 wings, and 4 breast pieces.

Trim of as much fat as possible. Rinse and let drain. In a shallow bowl, mix the flour, salt,

pepper, thyme and cayenne. Dredge the damp chicken pieces in the seasoned flour. In a

large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over moderately high heat. Dredge the chicken

again if the coating looks damp, and shake any excess back into the bowl. Reserve the

excess seasoned flour. Add the chicken pieces to the pan in a single layer without

crowding, in batches if necessary, and cook, turning, until golden brown, about 7 minutes

per batch. Lower the heat if necessary about 1/2 way through, so the fat doesn't burn.

Remove the chicken to a large flame proof casserole. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of

oil and the onions to the skillet. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until soft,

about 3 minutes. Add the ham and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes longer.

Sprinkle the reserved se

asoned flour over the ham and onions and cook., stirring, 30-45 seconds. Pour in half the

stock. Bring to a boil, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Boil stirring,

until slightly thickened. Pour everything in the skillet over the chicken in the casserole. Add

the tomatoes, the remaining stock, the green pepper, and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil,

reduce heat to moderately low, and simmer, partially covered, 15 minutes. Add the lima

beans and corn and simmer uncovered until the chicken and vegetables are tender, 10 to

12 minutes longer. Skim any fat off the top of the sauce. Remove and discard the bay leaf

and season with additional salt and pepper to taste before serving. Source: Miami Herald,

2/8/96 formatted by Lisa Crawford, 4/23/96