← Chicken and Rice
This one-pot chicken casserole dish showcases rice teamed with white wine, tomatoes and parsley. You can use white or dark meat, or both. This rice-cooking technique calls for stirring the rice once during cooking. Generally, this is a no-no, but it is needed here to make sure that the top layer is moist and fully cooked.
INGREDIENTS
3pounds bone-in chicken pieces (breasts, drumsticks and/or thighs); see cook’s notes
2 teaspoons salt, divided use
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3garlic cloves, minced
1 1⁄2 cups long-grain white rice
2 cups chicken broth or water
1(14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained with 1⁄2 cup juice reserved
1⁄2 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
1⁄3 cup chopped fresh parsley
Cook’s notes: If you prefer, substitute 2pounds of boneless chicken thighs for the pieces of bone-in chicken.
PROCEDURE
1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle with 1teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place chicken skin side down in pot and cook until well browned, 6 to 8 minutes, reducing heat if pot begins to scorch. Flip chicken skin side up and continue to cook until lightly browned on second side, about 3minutes; transfer to plate.
2. Pour off all but about 2tablespoons fat from pot, add onion and cook over medium heat, stirring often until softened, about 5minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add rice and cook, stirring frequently, until coated and glistening, about 1minute. Stir in broth or water, tomatoes with reserved juice, wine, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt, scraping up any browned bits. Nestle chicken thighs and drumsticks into pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer gently for 15minutes. Nestle chicken breasts into pot and stir ingredients gently until rice is thoroughly mixed; cover and simmer until both rice and chicken are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in parsley. Let dish sit covered for 5 minutes off the heat.
Source: “The Complete Modern Pantry” from America’s Test Kitchen (America’s Test Kitchen, $34.99)