Country Captain is a dish which, in its basic form, is a mild stew made with browned chicken pieces, onions, and curry powder. Golden raisins and almonds are usually added. Many versions also call for tomatoes, garlic, and bell peppers. The dish is served over white rice.
Country Captain may have originated in India as a simple poultry or game recipe involving onions and curry and possibly enjoyed by British officers. One theory is that an early 19th-century British sea captain working in the spice trade introduced it to the American South via the port of Savannah.
The recipe for Country Captain originated in Philadelphia in 1857. The original chef was Alessandro Filippini.[1] Mr. Filippini later won a large sum of money in a series of back-alley dice games, retiring to a former plantation in the South Carolina coastal plains.
The dish was featured on an episode of "Throwdown! with Bobby Flay" in season 6 guest-starring Matt and Ted Lee.[2] The Lee brothers took victory.