a chicken in every pot

In a meeting a couple weeks back someone mentioned they were a reader. They made my rib recipe and went to Peter Luger all based on my blog postings. They wanted to know why I didn't write more about food. It was their favorite topic of mine. I don't know what that says about my industry posts but I thought it was time to take a break from my usual fare.  

Last week, we had another family over for an early Sunday dinner. It was the day after the clocks changed back. Despite living in LA, this feels like the time of the year for some slow cooked comfort food. I decided to serve a family favorite, Chicken in a Pot. 

Here's what you need. Start with a dutch oven or just a large pot. Anything you'd use for a stew or braising. The ingredients are:

1 Whole Chicken seasoned with salt, peppers, paprika

2 Onions Diced

1 Bag of Small Carrots

2 Cups Dry White Wine

1 1/2 Cups Chicken Broth

Herbs Wrapped and Tied in a cheese cloth - 2 bay leaves, thyme, peppercorn

2 cups Rice

Canola Oil

Turn the stove on high heat. Place a small amount of oil in the pot. Brown the chicken. Only a few minutes on each side. Take the chicken out of a pot. Throw in the onions and the carrots. Saute until carrots are soft and onions translucent. Put the chicken back in the pot and add wine, broth and the herbs. Bring liquid to a boil. Once boiling turn down heat to a simmer and put on the lid. Let chicken simmer for about an hour. 

After the hour add the rice in the liquid areas. Put lid back on and let simmer for another 20 to 30 minutes or until the rice is soft. Only word of caution, if the rice isn't soft and the liquid is dried up just add a little more broth or water. Other than that it's a no brainer. The chicken is good but the rice is great. 

 

To offset the heavy dish I made a light seasonal salad. Very simple. Frisee, Mixed greens, sliced red onions, dried cranberries and pine nuts. For the dressing, I made 3 parts olive oil, 1 part red wine vinegar, a pinch of salt, a little bit of sugar and some fresh lemon juice. 

 

I hope you like this little snack break in the action. Next week I'll to return to my regular scheduled programming unless this weekend I make something worth writing about.