Latin-Style Chicken and Rice

Is there a dishwasher god out there?  Because if there is, he surely must have a problem with me.  Our dishwasher is just over a year old and it is driving me this side of insane.  It has a multitude of problems from not draining water from the tub to leaving an icky white film all over everything in the top rack.  Why that issue doesn’t extend to the bottom rack is beyond me.  Why the appliance repair people who were just here last week can’t fix the stinkin’ thing is beyond me.  Gah!

So while I may be venting, you’ve got to know how much I appreciate a one-pot meal these days.  I have half a mind to trash the dishwasher and just put a nice big, fat cabinet in its place, but with all the cooking and baking I do, I know that would surely spell the end.  In the meantime, I was happy to see a one-pot dinner in a recent issue of Gourmet magazine.  From their Every Day Quick Kitchen column, it’s a Latin-Style Chicken and Rice that is crazy easy to make.

Easy to make and one pot-ness aside, it wasn’t a wow.  It was good, hearty, worked as a weeknight meal and served its basic purpose, but I was disappointed, both in the dish and the fact that it’s from Gourmet.  I expected more I guess.  Eh.  The Husband and Nick ate it and everyone cleaned their plates, so I’m going to rest on those laurels instead of bemoaning the fact that it wasn’t a make-again for me.  But as for the dishwasher…

Latin-Style Chicken and Rice
Recipe courtesy of Gourmet magazine, December 2008
Serves 4

• 2 pounds chicken thighs with skin and bone
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped (2 cups)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup medium-or long-grain white rice
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
• 1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
• 1 cup frozen peas (not thawed)
• Garnish: chopped flat-leaf parsley

Pat chicken dry and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper (total). Heat butter and oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet (at least 2 inches deep) over medium-high heat until foam subsides, then brown chicken, turning once, about 10 minutes total. Transfer chicken with tongs to a plate.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoon fat from skillet. Cook onion and garlic with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper over medium heat, stirring, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add broth, water, saffron, and bay leaf and bring to a full boil. Nestle chicken in rice, keeping as much rice around (rather than under) chicken as possible, and add juices from plate. Simmer, covered tightly with lid, over low heat until chicken is cooked through, rice is tender, and most of liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in peas. Cover with a kitchen towel and then lid and let stand until all of liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf.

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