Chicken Bog

Chicken thighs, smoked sausage, and Carolina Gold Rice simmer together into the coziest chicken stew.

Chicken bog is a one-pot meal of chicken, rice, sausage, and vegetables that feels like chicken and rice soup meets jambalaya. The name of the dish is said to stem from the meat and vegetables being “bogged down” in the rice while it cooks, though it also can reference the bogs in the Lowcountry, where rice likes to grow. As the name suggests, chicken bog should be quite moist—wetter than a pilaf, but sturdier than a soup. This recipe calls for Carolina Gold rice, an heirloom long-grain variety native to the Lowcountry rice fields of South Carolina and Georgia, where the stewy dish claims its provenance. The rice is tender and ever-so-slightly creamy and there's tender, shredded chicken strewn throughout. This dish is incredibly comforting and warming – perfect for a sick day or a chilly night.

• 1 cup Carolina Gold rice
• 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 4 thighs)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 8 ounces smoked sausage, such as andouille, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (about 1 medium onion)
• 1 cup chopped carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
• 1 cup chopped celery (about 3 stalks)
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 4 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
• 2 fresh bay leaves or 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• Hot sauce (such as Tabasco)
• Lemon wedges