i love all those retro american frenchy chicken dishes, you know, pierre franey's stuff as nyt 60-minute gourmet--having a carelessly unplanned lunch (i got caught up with tonight's chili) of chicken breast with apples and rice in stock and it's so simple and predictable, fast and comforting. browned chicken seasoned with just salt and pepper, white wine, stock, a bay leaf, you know the drill. simple and fragrant and chicken-y. 20 minutes and it just takes me back to vincent price-era dishes housewives felt were elegant. you never feel guilty, as if you'd phoned it in when eating this stuff. funny.
Chicken and Rice
From Pierre Franey for The New York Times 60-Minute Gourmet.
chicken breasts, bone-in and skin-on, 4 pieces
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon (or more, always more) chopped garlic
fresh mushrooms sliced or quartered (I subbed sliced apple because for once we don't have any mushrooms in the house, ack)
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup dry white wine (confession: I almost always use cheap dry vermouth)
1/2 cup raw rice
1 cup chicken broth or stock
Do not skin or bone the chicken. Sprinkle the pieces with salt and pepper.
Heat the butter in a large skillet, swirl to coat the bottom, and add the chicken pieces, skin side down. Brown about 5 minutes and turn.
Scatter the onion and garlic between the chicken pieces and add the mushrooms and bay leaf. Cook about 5 minutes.
Add the wine and cook until it is almost all evaporated (yes, this almost always takes longer than you think it will). Add the rice and broth, taking care that the rice does not rest on top of the chicken pieces. (If you use apples instead of mushrooms like I did, this is when I put the apple in.) Cover closely and cook about 20 minutes or until rice is tender.
Chicken and Rice
From Pierre Franey for The New York Times 60-Minute Gourmet.
chicken breasts, bone-in and skin-on, 4 pieces
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon (or more, always more) chopped garlic
fresh mushrooms sliced or quartered (I subbed sliced apple because for once we don't have any mushrooms in the house, ack)
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup dry white wine (confession: I almost always use cheap dry vermouth)
1/2 cup raw rice
1 cup chicken broth or stock
Do not skin or bone the chicken. Sprinkle the pieces with salt and pepper.
Heat the butter in a large skillet, swirl to coat the bottom, and add the chicken pieces, skin side down. Brown about 5 minutes and turn.
Scatter the onion and garlic between the chicken pieces and add the mushrooms and bay leaf. Cook about 5 minutes.
Add the wine and cook until it is almost all evaporated (yes, this almost always takes longer than you think it will). Add the rice and broth, taking care that the rice does not rest on top of the chicken pieces. (If you use apples instead of mushrooms like I did, this is when I put the apple in.) Cover closely and cook about 20 minutes or until rice is tender.