So Many Dishes

It seems that every cuisine has a chicken and rice dish. They just seem to go together. I can think of any number of chicken and rice dishes that are among my favorite foods: Cuban arroz con pollo, which is distinctly different from the Spanish version; Puerto Rican asopao; Iranian chicken and rice with cherries; Shireen palao, an Afghan chicken and rice with orange that may be my favorite chicken and rice combo. There are certain chicken dishes, too, that just seem to cry out to be served with rice. I make a French farmer’s chicken stew that I always serve over rice. It wouldn’t be the same without it.

When I think about an Italian version of this combo, my mind immediately goes to risotto. I love risotto, but make it rarely. All that stirring! My good friend Mary says stirring risotto is a kind of meditation for her, but all my brain can focus on is how much my shoulder hurts.

Imagine my delight to come across the recipe for Lombardy-Style Rice and Chicken in the Milk Street Tuesday Nights Mediterranean cookbook. This is my most recent cookbook purchase, and it’s a winner. Ken thinks this is the best of the recipes we’ve tried so far. Whether it’s the best or not, it is absolutely fantastic. It’s similar to risotto, in that you get a similar creamy texture. But it’s quick and easy, with just a minimal amount of stirring.

I broke my rule of not making any changes the first time trying a new recipe and made three: I cut the recipe in half. I’ve cooked often enough from this book to know that, if it says four servings, it will most likely serve six. We like leftovers, but there are limits. Secondly, because Ken is currently having GERD issues and not tolerating onions, I left them out. While I’m sure it would have been nice to have them, it didn’t suffer without. Finally, I used boneless chicken breast instead of thighs. There are always boneless breast halves in our freezer, and I’m a white meat girl. I’ll eat thighs, but it’s definitely not my first choice. The breast meat did not dry out, so I don’t think there’s an issue. one thing I would not change is the use of Arborio rice, because its creaminess is essential to the dish. You just can’t get that with long grain rice.

I’m including the full recipe, but it halves easily.

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into 4 pieces
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated

Season the chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a 1-quart liquid measuring cup or medium microwave-safe bowl, heat the broth, covered, until simmering, 2 to 3 minutes; set aside, covered.

In a large Dutch oven over medium high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add onion, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until the wine has mostly evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in the hot broth, the rice, and chicken. Bring to a simmer, then cover, reduce the heat to low and cook until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, quickly stir, then re-cover and let stand 5 minutes.

Add the chives butter and about three-fourths of the cheese, then stir vigorously until the butter is melted and the rice is creamy. Taste season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve sprinkled with remaining cheese. 4 generous servings

Happy eating!