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Meme's Chicken and Rice

Source of Recipe

From "Basic to Brilliant, Y'all" by Virginia Willis


Recipe Introduction

"Meme made this stew most often when we were sick, and this soothing and satisfying rice porridge will certainly cure what ails you. It's quite similar to Asian congee or jook. She literally just combined rice, onion, chicken, and water in a pot and cooked it. I sear the thighs for additional flavor, but keep her Basic premise."

List of Ingredients

◦ 1 teaspoon canola oil
◦ 1 (4-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces, or 6 bone-in, skin-on breasts or thighs
◦ Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
◦ 1 onion, preferably Vidalia, chopped
◦ 1 clove garlic, mashed into a paste
◦ 1 cup long-grain white rice
◦ 4 cups homemade chicken stock or reduced-fat, low-sodium chicken broth


Recipe

Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Add the chicken, skin side down, without crowding the pan. Cook until a rich golden brown on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken to a plate.

Add the onion and cook until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds. Add the rice and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. When the chicken is cool enough to touch, remove the browned skin. (The skin becomes flabby as it simmers.) Return the chicken to the pot.

Add the stock. Bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to a simmer and cook until the chicken is falling off the bone and the rice is completely soft, soupy, and thick, 45 to 60 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle into warmed serving bowls and serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6