Food July 6, 2021

How to make 'Good Life Chicken' and Okra, Corn, Tomato Stew just like Patti LaBelle

WATCH: Make Patti LaBelle's 'Good Life' chicken and okra corn tomato stew

Patti LaBelle joined "Good Morning America" on Tuesday and shared two recipes from her cookbook "LaBelle Cuisine: Recipes to Sing About."

Good Life Chicken

Lauren Palmeri
Patti LaBelle's good life chicken.

Makes: 2 to 4 servings

Ingredients

6 pieces of bone-in, skin-on chicken (about 2 pounds of your favorite chicken parts)

3 tablespoon any chicken broth base and seasoning

2 tablespoon grapeseed or other neutral oil

1 large Vidalia onion, chopped into 1-inch chunks

3 large carrots, chopped into 1-inch chunks

3 large celery ribs, chopped into 1-inch chunks

6 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tablespoon celery seed

2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 4 cups water, approximately

1 habanero chile pepper

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Celery or parsley leaves for serving

Directions

Rub the chicken broth base and seasoning all over both sides of the chicken.

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook for 5 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic to the pot and stir to coat with the oil. Cook for about 2 minutes, then stir in the celery seed and pepper. Return the chicken to the pot and pour in 4 cups water.

Cut a small slit in the side of the habanero chile and add to the pot. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for about 45 minutes, checking every 15 minutes, and adding more water if needed to keep the chicken covered. Uncover and simmer for 15 more minutes to allow the liquid to reduce slightly. Remove from the heat.

In a small bowl, whisk the flour to remove any lumps. Measure 1 1/2 cups of the hot cooking liquid and slowly whisk it into the flour to make a smooth slurry. Stir the slurry into the pot, then cook gently over medium-low heat until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

To serve, transfer to a large serving bowl, scatter a few whole celery or parsley leaves over the top, and add penne pasta, rice or mashed potatoes on the side for a hearty main course!

Okra, Corn and Tomato Stew

Lauren Palmeri
Patti LaBelle's okra, corn and tomato stew.

Makes: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

8 ounces okra, trimmed and sliced into half-inch-thick rounds

4 cups fresh corn kernels

1 medium onion, chopped

2 ripe beefsteak tomatoes, chopped

Seasoned salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the okra, corn, onion and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring often. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the okra is tender, about 35 minutes. Serve hot.

To add shrimp to your okra, corn and tomato stew: During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, and cook until the shrimp are pink and firm. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Recipes reprinted with permission from Gallery Books. An imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc. Copyright 1999 by Patti Labelle with Laura b. Randolph.