CHICKEN & RICE – MADE SOUTHERN STYLE
Every culture from all over the world has their own version of chicken and rice dishes, from Chicken Congee served all over Asia, Arroz Con Pollo in Spain and Puerto Rico to one of my favorites, Pho Ga from Vietnam. But what I love most of all and am most familiar with is the classic southern dish of chicken and rice that we all know and love down here in the south.
Within the south, there are many versions of this dish passed down from grandmothers and mothers, most likely not written down but taught in the kitchen. My own family still makes their own version and it is simple and good, but after trying my hand at it, this has become my new favorite. The ingredients are still simple and uncomplicated, but the flavor is much richer thanks to the butter bath it takes before cooking in the oven.
This dish is comforting and simple while still being full of flavor. Aside from learning from my grandmother, mother and aunt, I found inspiration from the late great Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock with their cookbook ‘The Gift of Southern Cooking’, a cookbook I’ve had for so long the pages are worn and splattered with butter.
Their recipe calls for sautéing the chicken in butter first, unlike most recipes that start with chicken in water or broth, like that of chef Vivian Howard’s mother in her cookbook ‘Deep Run Roots’. And while this is a classic (and delicious) preparation, sautéing it first gives you a much richer broth . No offense to my family or to Mrs. Scarlett Howard. Make this whenever you need true comfort, and don’t skip the butter!
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 whole 3 1/2-4lb. chicken
- kosher salt & pepper
- 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 cups chicken stock (homemade is ideal, but honestly water would even work)
- several sprigs of thyme (optional)
- Flake salt
DIRECTIONS:
Please, if you can, prep the chicken the night before you plan to cook it. Blot it dry with paper towels and salt it judiciously with a lot of kosher salt – all over. Place in a shallow pan like a pyrex dish and place in the fridge, uncovered, overnight. This is what is called a dry brine and it will give you delicious results. At the very least, try to do this the morning of.
Take the chicken out of the fridge at least an hour before you plan to cook it. Blot it dry again with paper towels. Heat a dutch oven or an oven proof pan large enough to hold the chicken over medium high heat for about 4-5 minutes. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
Add the butter and oil to the pan. Allow the butter to melt and just start to turn brown. Carefully add the whole chicken breast-side down into the pot. You want to hear a sizzle but keep a watch on this and make sure the pot isn’t too hot. After about 2 minutes I give the pan a gentle shake to make sure the chicken isn’t sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cook for a total of about 5 minutes.
Next, carefully flip the chicken onto it’s back. Let it cook another 3-5 minutes to achieve some good color. Then, add the broth or water and bring to a simmer. Sprinkle with the thyme sprigs if using. Cover the pot and place in the oven.
Cook for 1 hour. While the chicken is cooking, cook the rice. When the chicken has cooked for an hour, remove it from the oven and let it rest with the lid on (don’t peak) for about 15 minutes. Honestly, you could let it sit for longer and it would still be warm. Serve by spooning rice onto a plate or shallow bowl, slice and place chicken on top of the rice and spoon as much broth as you want over top. Finish with flake salt and ground black pepper.
You could add a splash of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to the broth once the chicken comes out (as many apparently do), but I like the rich flavor of the broth mixed with the butter.