Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Fancy Chicken and Rice



This dish is a relatively versatile and easy to make stunner that will knock your flavor socks off. The creamy herbed rice creates a kind of French risotto vibe that melds perfectly with the flavorful and juicy chicken. It is at once comforting, interesting, and a nice change for those who usually don’t do French because of sauces that are too rich or recipes that are too involved.

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 2 Tablespoons Butter
  • 6 whole Chicken Thighs
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon Herbs De Provence
  • 1/4 Medium Onion, Chopped
  • 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
  • ¼ cups White Wine
  • 1-¾ cup Chicken Broth
  • ¼ cups Half And Half
  • 1 cup Uncooked White Rice

Preparation Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and butter in a large sauté pan on medium high or high heat (hot enough to brown but not burn). While you wait, season the chicken pieces all over with salt and pepper and herbs de Provence seasoning.
2. Working in batches, brown the chicken pieces on both sides, about 1-2 minutes per batch. Add a little more olive oil if needed after every batch if needed. If the chicken is cooking correctly, this will not be necessary. Please note that the chicken does not have to be cooked through, only browned on both sides. Remove chicken pieces from the pan and set aside in a bowl with paper towels.
3. In the same sauté pan lower the heat to medium. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cook 30 seconds more. Remove onions and garlic to a shallow (9 x 13 x 2) casserole dish.
4. Add the dry white wine to the pan and stir to deglaze the pan, scraping off the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Since I use a nonstick pan there are never any bits. Let the wine reduce to about 1 tablespoon then add the chicken stock, and remove pan from heat.
5. Stir in the half and half.
6. Add the raw rice to the casserole dish. Then pour the cream mixture over the rice and stir.
7. Place the chicken pieces on top of the rice mixture in a single layer if you can. Don’t panic they will be crowded. Bake in a 375°F oven for 45 minutes uncovered. If the casserole is still too liquidy, let it cook a few minutes more until the excess liquid has evaporated away. This dish usually takes about 50 minutes in my oven. The chicken should be a safe 165 F by then.
8. Enjoy!

I had to adapt this recipe to conform to my husbands tastes, the original is from southernlady64 at tasty kitchen. I like my recipe as it is simplified and easy and tastes amazing!!

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do, it tastes like you are dining in a fine restaurant but you are home and not paying that huge bill and tip!
 
 

 

3 comments:

Tanya said...

Yummo! Thanks for this, Chica - Fancy Chicken that will knock my socks off - winner, winner, chicken DINNER!!!!!

Cindy said...

I am not much of a cook, but I think I might actually do this!
Sounds wonderful!

Cindy said...

I am not much of a cook, but I think I might actually do this!
Sounds wonderful!