Chicken In Rice

INGREDIENTS

1tbs olive oil

1 organic or best as you can get chicken

1 bulb garlic

1 leek, white part rinsed & sliced into 1cm rings

1 bunch silverbeet, stalks and leaves chopped & rinsed

¼ c oregano leaves

1 tbs butter

1.5 c white rice, rinsed 

½ c white wine

1 c stock

1 c water 

Method

Preheat oven to 180C.

Snip the fatty bits from just inside the carcass. 

Put the oil and the chicken (breast side down) into a cold large oven proof pot with a tight fitting lid. 

Place the fatty bits around the edge. 

Place over medium heat and allow the chicken breast to brown for about 10-15mins. 

The cold start allows the skin to slowly brown and prevents tearing. It also allows the fat to render and not just burn. 

Once it is seriously golden brown, carefully remove the chicken and set aside. 

You can brown the underside if you like, but I like the stickiness of the wet skin that is cooked in the rice. 

Cut the garlic in half at the fattest party of it’s belly and place the cut sides down into the chicken fat and oil still in the pan. 

Add in the leeks, stir to mix (making sure to put the garlic back face side down if it is turned) then reduce heat to low and put the lid on for 15mins. Checking occasionally to prevent catching. 

The garlic and leeks will sweat and begin to caramelise. 

Return the heat to medium and throw in the silverbeet, oregano and butter. 

Stir until butter is melted and the greens have wilted. 

Add in the rice and wine and combine. 

Nestle the chicken back in, skin side up. Pour in water all around the chicken then cover with a lid and place into the oven for 40-50mins. 

Serve pieces of the tender chook with lots of lovely sticky rice, freshly cracked pepper and make sure not to miss out on the soft cloves of garlic which you simply squeeze out onto plates. 

*I have also made this recipe in a large deep roasting pan with 2 chickens (great for a crowd!!!). 

Other qtys:

2 bulbs garlic

1.5 bunch of silverbeet (or use a smaller bunch of another leafy green like kale or english spinach)

2 leeks

½ c oregano

50 g butter

2 c white rice, rinsed 

1 c white wine

1 c stock

1 c water 

The temps and times should remain the same.