Chicken and Rice with Tomato and Coriander
I’m really into one pan wonders right now, and this one might be my fav so far. Letting the chicken finish cooking in tomato and spices is a great way to add tons of flavor to chicken, and of course the rice absorbs all the yummy flavors as well. Cinnamon and orange peel give this a nice fall aroma and add a warmth and brightness to the dish.
Recipe by Tierney Larson
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1 cup Calrose (or any medium grain) rice, rinsed and drained
6 bone-in, skin on chicken drum sticks, or thighs
Kosher Salt
2 tbl canola oil
2 leeks, halved, rinsed and cut into 1/4 inch half moons
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 dried kashmiri indian chilli
1/2 tbl cumin seeds
1 tbl coriander
1 15oz can of crushed tomatoes
1-2 inch peel of clementine
1 cinnamon stick
Ok so…
Rinse your rice until the water is almost clear, drain and set aside. Season your chicken drumsticks or thighs with kosher salt on all sides. Heat up a medium sized cast iron skillet or a skillet with high sides over medium high heat. When hot, add 2 tbl of canola oil and heat until shimmering and you just start to see tiny wisps of smoke. Add the chicken (skin side down if doing thighs) and let them get nice and golden brown on all sides, about 5 min per side for drumsticks, a little longer for the skin side on thighs. The chicken won’t be cooked through, that’s what you want. Remove the chicken and place on a plate, return the pan to the stove and lower the heat to medium.
Add the cumin and coriander seeds and let them sizzle in the rendered chicken fat left in the pan for a minute until fragrant, then add the leeks and garlic and a pinch of kosher salt, and cook stirring frequently for about 3-4 minutes, until leeks are tender, if the pan gets dry add a splash of oil. Add the crushed tomatoes, cinnamon stick, and orange peel and another pinch of kosher salt, bring to a simmer and taste to see if it needs a little more salt. Add the rice and 2 cups of water and bring to a simmer, then nestle the chicken and any juices that accumulated into the rice leaving the crispy skin above the liquid. Watch to make sure your liquid is simmering steadily, not boiling. Let the chicken and rice cook uncovered for 25-30 min, until the chicken is cooked through, and the rice has absorbed the liquid. Take a peek under the rice about 20 min in to make sure it’s not burning, if it’s getting golden, lower the heat a bit so it doesn’t burn.
Top with chopped cilantro and serve! Enjoy!
