Frank Davis's Back-A-Town Chicken

gailanng's Note:

A favorite of my family. Frank's not only a character, but a good cook, too . The list of ingredients seem long, but the only one precooked on the stovetop are the onions.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 4 tablespoons margarine
• 3 large onions , thick sliced
• 1 large frying chicken , cut in pieces, washed and skinned
• 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning (many clones on Zaar)
• 2 teaspoons sweet basil
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt (or sea salt)
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 lb andouille sausage , sliced (can sub smoked sausage)
• 1 cup fresh mushrooms , halved
• 3 carrots , peeled and chunked
• 2 garlic cloves , finely minced
• ½ cup green onion , thick sliced
• ½ small bell pepper , thinly sliced
• 2 cups cream of chicken soup

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees.
2. In a heavy cast iron Dutch oven, melt the margarine over high heat until it sizzles and fry the sliced onions (stirring constantly) for about 10 minutes until they carmelize to a dark brown.
3. While the onions are cooking, sprinkle each piece thoroughly with Cajun seasoning, basil, salt, and black and cayenne pepper.
4. Next, remove all but a thin layer of caramelized onions from the Dutch oven and set aside. A little at a time, alternating as you go, start adding to the Dutch oven the chicken and all of the remaining ingredients (including the browned onions—but not the soup). Note: Do not put any liquid in the pot! It will make it’s own liquid.
5. Put the lid on the Dutch oven and bake, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours or until the chicken starts to fall off the bone.
6. Remove the chicken from the Dutch oven, place it on a serving platter, and stir the cream of chicken soup into the “pot liquor”.
7. Simmer the gravy until it is hot and bubbly and ladle it over the chicken.
8. Serve with either baked potatoes, mashed potatoes or rice.