The dish looks as if the cook went on a binge the night before, but legend has it one Yankee officer liked it so much he switched uniforms. It's called Chicken Bog, and it's a conglomeration of rice spices and chicken, topped with bacon.  To Pee Dee natives, the dish is as traditional on Fourth of July and other holidays as barbecue and cole slaw is to the rest of the south.

A distant, but more savory cousin of pilau, Chicken Bog combines the best qualities of both chicken & rice.  Cooked properly, the chicken is juicy and tender and piqued with spices.  The rice assumes the flavor of the chicken and other ingredients, and in best Southern style, the grains don't stick together. Chicken Bog apparently gets it's name because the "chicken is bogged in rice."  An out-of-stater, who now claims South Carolina as her home, however claims it is named so because it is a "boggy, soggy mess." (It's a favorite dish of hers however.)

The recipe is liked by many Palmetto State residents because it is easy to prepare; it can accommodate large crowds (10 or more people); and can be served formally or informally.  One Darlington native remembers when men cooked Chicken Bog on the banks of the Pee Dee River in big black iron pots and served it with butter beans, artichoke relish, and tomatoes.  "That's all we had on holidays," she recalls, "and it was the best thing ever."  Old-timers believe that is probably had its origin years ago at the tobacco barns or warehouses since it was served traditionally at the barn supper, usually held at the season.

A well known cook of this dish is Mrs. M. Chisollm Wallace of Florence's Red Doe Plantation.  Mrs. Wallace's recipe has been carefully reproduced here so that this specialty dish can be enjoyed by all sandlappers.  She says, "We like it.  With a little bit of cole slaw, it's a meal in itself."

BUY:
1   5 to 6 lb fat hen
1   small onion (about the size of a lemon or smaller
1   small green bell pepper
1   stick butter (1/4 lb.), if needed
2   lb. long grain white rice (Mahatma or some similar brand)
     (DO NOT GET INSTANT RICE!)
1/4 lb bacon
Salt & Black Pepper
You will need a six quart heavy aluminum pot with top - (Use top while cooking all phases except bacon.)

TO COOK:
Put chicken in pit; cover it with hot water (be sure there is enough water so that there will be at least six cups of broth after cooking chicken); bring water to a boil, cut stove down so that water just continues to boil and cook until chicken is very tender (usually at least an hour or more)

While chicken is cooking:
(1)  Slice and chop one and bell pepper into very small pieces
(2)  Put 4 cups of rice into a bowl and cover with cold water from spigot and let soak

When chicken is very tender, take from stove and let cool until you can handle the chicken; take chicken from pot; pull meat from bones in large pieces (do not cut up); discard and fat heavy skin.  Pour broth from pot into a bowl (if chicken was very fat and broth is very fat, pour off about 1 cup of fat from broth).

Wash pot; put bacon in pot and cook slowly until bacon is crisp; take bacon from pot and drain; leave bacon grease in pot; put in chopped onion and green pepper and brown slightly; add 6 cups chicken broth to pot; season to taste with salt and pepper (at least a tablespoon of each -- use a heavy hand since rice will absorb salt); cut stove to high and bring broth to a boil; put chicken in pot; drain rice and put rice in pot; put stick of butter in pot; mix well; cut stove to low and cook very slowly for about an hour.

Stir as seldom as possible, since stirring makes the rice gooey.  When rice is tender and has absorbed the liquids, it is done and can be removed from stove.  Serve hot; you can crumble bacon and put on the top of serving or not, depending on taste.

2 1/2 lb. chicken pieces
1 c. chopped onion
1 1/2 lb. smoked sausage
1 tsp. black pepper
2 c. long grain rice

Boil chicken and onions in 4 c. water until tender.  If desired, debone chicken.  Slice sausage in 1/2" pieces, add sausage, pepper and rice to chicken.  Simmer until all broth is absorbed and rice is cooked.  Serves 8.

  Recipe by: Come and Get It! by Jr. Welfare League of Talladega, Al Measure 6 cups of water, salt, onion, and chicken. Boil until tender. (About 1   hour.) Remove chicken, let cool and remove bones. Chop meat in bite-sized pieces. Skim off fat from juices. Measure 3 1/2 cups of this broth into a 6-qt saucepan. Add rice, chicken pieces and smoked sausage, herb seasoning
  and "chicken and herb" seasoning. Cook these ingredients for 30 mins. Let come to a boil and turn to low, keeping covered the entire time. If rice mixture is too juicy, cook uncovered until desired consistency. Yield: 6 servings.  Originally submitted to book by Mrs. Claxton Ray of Conway, S.C.

   1 whole onion
   2 ribs celery, washed and snapped in halves or quarters (leaves and all)
   2 carrots, halved or quartered
   1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
   1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
   2 bay leaves
   Salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste
   1 (3 to 3.5 pound) whole chicken
   Water
   2 1/2 cups long-grain rice
   2 tablespoons butter

   In a large soup pot, kettle, or deep-sided heavy casserole with top, put onion, celery, carrots, poultry seasoning, parsley flakes, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Rinse the chicken and place on top of the other ingredients in the pot. Add enough water to cover the chicken and bring to a boil, uncovered, over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 1 hour, or until juices run clear when the chicken is pricked with a fork. Remove chicken to a platter to cool. Strain broth from pot (you should have about 8 cups; if you have more, set aside for another use).

   Return 8 cups broth to the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Pour in rice and return to a boil. Adjust heat to lowest possible setting, stir and cover. Cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and keeping an eye on the pot to be sure it does not cook dry. Add more of the broth if necessary - I usually add about another cup.

   While the rice is cooking, skin and remove chicken meat from the bones; discard bones and skin. Cut meat into bite-sized pieces; set aside.

   When the rice is cooked, add the boneless chicken and butter. Stir together carefully, taste to correct seasoning and serve. Or keep pot covered over low heat until ready to serve. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

   Per serving (with 2 teaspoons butter per serving): 60 calories, 2 grams protein, 4 grams fat, 6 grams carbohydrates, 10 milligrams cholesterol, 43 milligrams sodium, 60 percent calories from fat.

     

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