Receta Baked Rice with Chicken and Mushrooms
They line up down the block the Halal Guys Chicken and Rice
Chicken and Rice in one form
or another may be one the world’s most ubiquitous foods. You can find it in many guises. Claypot
Chicken Rice is popular from Southern China to Singapore and Malaysia. The latter two countries join Thailand in loving
Hainanese Chicken Rice from Hainan Province in China. On to India where Chicken
Biryani rules the roost. In Central Brazil, Galinhada is topped with hard-cooked
eggs. All over Latin America, Arroz con
Pollo is a beloved staple. And closer to
home, The Halal Guys, which started as a food cart in midtown Manhattan, has
franchises that are opening coast to coast and in Canada. Maybe it has something to do with its
nickname, “Chicken and Rice”. We do know
it has the longest food cart line is the city.
Aside from its universality, what’s the appeal of the dish?
For one thing, it’s very
budget-friendly and an absolutely brilliant way of feeding a lot of people for
not a lot of money. The author of this
particular recipe is David Tanis. The New York Times food writer has some great
bonafides. His cookbook “A Platter of
Figs” (Artisan 2008), is on Ina Garten’s Best Cookbook Ever list. Tanis was at home fancying an Indian style
biryani when he discovered he didn’t have the right stuff on hand. What he did
have –mushrooms, garlic, thyme and parsley—struck him as more French than Indian so he took
the dish in that direction. He ended up
with savory, baked rice casserole that I think is well worth putting together
this or any other weekend. It takes
about an hour and twenty minutes all told.
Tanis calls for 2 lbs. of skinless boneless chicken thighs. If anything, err on the side of more
chicken. Secondly, season this aggressively
with salt and pepper. I was amused to
read Chef Gabrielle Hamilton of New York’s “Prune” share her recipe for Chicken
and Rice for the restaurant’s staff meal. She said the most commonly used
condiment at hers is Sriracha. Here is the recipe:
Recipe for Baked Rice with Chicken and Mushrooms from David Tanis in the New
York Times
2 pounds skinless
boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch chunks Salt and pepper 2 tablespoons olive
oil 1 large onion, diced
(about 1 1/2 cups) 1 large sprig thyme,
plus 1 teaspoon freshly chopped leaves 1 bay leaf 1 cup white wine 2 cups basmati rice,
soaked for 20 minutes, rinsed and drained 8 ounces king trumpet
mushrooms, or a mixture of mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch thick ( I used Creminis)
4 cups hot chicken
broth 3 tablespoons
unsalted butter 1 cup frozen peas,
cooked for 2 minutes in salted water (optional) 2 small garlic cloves,
smashed to a paste with a little salt 3 tablespoons roughly
chopped parsley 1. Put chicken pieces on
a baking sheet and season generously with salt and pepper. Set aside. Heat oven
to 350 degrees.
2. Pour olive oil into a
4-quart enamelware Dutch oven or similar heavy pot and set over medium-high
heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until nicely browned, 8 to 10 minutes,
then season with salt. Add chicken, thyme sprig and bay leaf, and continue to
cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more.
Add wine and simmer
briskly until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
3. Add rice and a large
handful of mushrooms and stir to combine. (Reserve most of the mushrooms for
garnish.) Add broth and bring to a simmer. Check broth for seasoning and
adjust.
Cover pot and cook
for 10 minutes over medium heat. Transfer pot to oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Finally, remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes off heat.
4. While rice is baking,
sauté remaining mushrooms: Melt butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add
mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook, rapidly stirring, until they
have softened and browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
5. Add peas and heat
through. Turn off heat, then add reserved chopped thyme, the garlic and the
parsley. Toss to coat well.
6. Fluff rice, then top
with sautéed mushrooms and serve.