I made a batch of bog Saturday night and must say it turned out not only easy, but tasty and satisfying, a perfect canvas for shrimp, other seafoods, sausage and chicken. What is Bog, you ask? It’s as quintessentially South Carolina as the shag, a popular old beach dance there.
A distant cousin of Carolina pilau or perloo, bog combines the best qualities of chicken and rice. The meats are juicy and flavorful and the rice absorbs their flavor and spice. In fact, we added a sampling of hot sauces served table side, recommended by fellow writer Becky Ellis (thanks!) to liven up the dish native to the low country of South Carolina, where we hold a semi-annual gathering of family as we did recently.
So cherished there is chicken and rice, it’s served on many restaurant menus in South Carolina and celebrated at an annual Bog Festival cook-off competition in Loris. In the best Southern style of rice, the grains do not stick together and some people theorize that Bog gets its name because the chicken and other meats are bogged in rice. Others claim the name comes because it is one boggy, soggy delicious mess.
The recipe is old favorite, especially in the low country regions where rice has been grown for hundreds of years. Because it is easy to prepare, it can be made to accommodate large crowds and can be served formally or at picnic table, used as a traditional meal in Southern fish camps, cooked on the riverbanks in big, black iron pots and served with butter beans, greens and other local vegetables.
This recipe has been simplified without sacrificing taste. The original recipe calls for shredded rotisserie chicken, but any chicken will suffice nicely, although dark meat, with its juiciness, tenderness and fat content, is a better bet. Add shrimp at the very end.
A Batch of Bog
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped mild onion
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups rice
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 Tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
- 2 pounds shrimp, peeled
- 2 pounds smoked sausage
- 6 chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- Juice of large, fresh lemon, or to taste
- Hot sauce to accompany, your choice
Brown the chicken in olive oil, then add everything but the shrimp. Bring to a simmer and cook for one hour. Chop up the chicken and sausage, add back to pot. Stir in rice and simmer until rice is puffed and tender. Add shrimp, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest for 15 minutes, long enough to prep a salad and/or bake a loaf of good French bread to eat with your Bog.
About the Writer:
Rebecca Jackson is a veteran newspaper person/journalist based in Bedford County, VA. A native of California and an M.A. graduate of Arizona State University, she has a passion for pets (animals), good food/cooking, music, wine, horticulture, photography and travel.
