Chicken Sauce Piquante

This recipe is Jeremy's take on Chef John Folse's recipe, Creole-Style Chicken.  As Chef Folse mentions in his recipe, the difference between a Sauce Piquante and Creole-Style Chicken is that "almost every culture of early New Orleans added their own flavors" to the recipe.  So, the difference between the two is mostly the spices. As the title reflects, (Piquante = pleasantly biting, or a sting), this recipe is spicy in all the right ways!  *Here's a tip: If you prefer spicier food, use Rotel Hot. If you prefer your dishes on the milder side, use Rotel Mild. 

Prep Time: 1 hour
Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 (5-pound) chicken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup flour
2 cups diced onions
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced bell peppers
1/4 cup minced garlic
1 dozen button mushrooms
2 cans of Original Rotel 
1 tbsp minced jalepeños
1 1/2 tsp. dried Italian herbs
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
4 cups chicken stock
Envie to taste
Louisiana hot sauce to taste

Directions:

1. Cut chicken into serving size pieces. Larger pieces such as breasts may be cut into 2 pieces.
2. In a thick-bottomed pot (such as a Magnalite), brown the chicken pieces.
3. Remove the chicken pieces from the pot and set to the side. 
4. Add oil to the pot and heat over medium-high heat.
5. Whisk in flour, stirring constantly until a golden brown roux is achieved.
6. Add onions, celery, bell peppers, garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes, and jalapeños.
7. Sauté until the vegetables are a rich brown color.
8. Add tomato paste and Italian seasonings; blend well.
9. Slowly stir in wine and chicken stock.
10. Add small amounts of chicken stock if mixture becomes too thick.
11. Season with Envie and Louisiana Hot Sauce to taste.
12. Continue cooking until chicken is tender.
13. Serve over white rice.