Kent's Chicken Bog For a Crowd

If you're looking for a crowd-pleasing chicken and rice dinner that can feed an army, your search ends here. Chicken bog, which shares a history with pilau, is a simple South Carolina staple that has stood the test of time. This big-batch chicken bog recipe comes from Kent Huggins, a Carolina native who has perfected his family's technique over decades. What sets Kent's version apart? His chicken bog (which uses a strict 3:1 stock-to-rice ratio) is cooked in the oven. This eliminates the temptation to stir the rice and ensures a perfectly boggy texture.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 3 hr
• Total Time: 3 hr 20 mins
• Calories: 594 Calories

Ingredients

• 15 cups water
• 3 tablespoons salt, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce, or to taste
• 10 (8 ounce) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 3 (16 oz) rings smoked sausage, sliced
• 3 teaspoons ground black pepper, divided, or more to taste
• 5 cups parboiled long-grain white rice

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Step 2

Combine chicken thighs and sausage in a large stockpot. Add water, salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 2 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

Step 3

Remove chicken and sausage from the pot. Reserve the cooking liquid (stock). Skin and debone chicken once cooled. Transfer chicken and sausage to a large roasting pan. Sprinkle with remaining pepper. Cover with rice and stock.

Step 4

Roast in the preheated oven until liquid is absorbed, 60 to 90 minutes. Serve hot with hot sauce to taste.