cold weather comfort food: chicken, lemons & rice

Recipe by
Andy Anderson !
Wichita, KS

I love a good stew… Who doesn’t? But in those cold Winter months, when short days are punctuated with low-hanging gray clouds and snow, a good stew takes on a whole different perspective. It’s comfort food… plain and simple. This recipe is a gathering of many of my favorite flavors regarding chicken stews, and is guaranteed to warm your heart, and put a smile on the faces of your guests. So you ready… Let’s get into the kitchen.

yield 4 serving(s)
prep time 20 Min
cook time 25 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For cold weather comfort food: chicken, lemons & rice

  • PLAN/PURCHASE
  • 4 lg
    chicken thighs, bone in, with skin
  • THE MARINADE
  • 5 Tbsp
    olive oil, extra virgin
  • 2 clove
    garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp
    salt, kosher variety
  • 1/2 tsp
    black pepper, freshly ground
  • 1/2 tsp
    dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp
    dried rosemary
  • THE STEW
  • 1/2 md
    yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 clove
    garlic, minced
  • 1 lg
    dried ancho chili
  • 1 c
    long-grained white rice
  • 1/4 c
    white wine, dry
  • 2 Tbsp
    capers, drained
  • 1 1/2 c
    chicken stock, not broth
  • 1 tsp
    sugar, granulated variety
  • 14 oz
    crushed tomatoes with juice (1 can)
  • 2 lg
    lemons
  • 1 jar
    6 ounces artichoke hearts, drained
  • 1 c
    olives, pitted kalamata
  • 1/2 tsp
    dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp
    ground cumin
  • 1 pinch
    cayenne pepper, or to taste

How To Make cold weather comfort food: chicken, lemons & rice

  • 1
    PREP/PREPARE
  • 2
    THE MARINADE
  • 3
    Gather all your ingredients.
  • 4
    Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl, or Ziploc bag.
  • 5
    Add the chicken and thoroughly coat.
  • 6
    Place in the refrigerator for 4 hours, or (better yet) overnight.
  • 7
    THE STEW
  • 8
    Gather your ingredients.
  • 9
    Take the sugar; stir it into the tomatoes, and reserve.
  • 10
    Put the dried ancho chili into a bowl of hot water, and let sit for 20 minutes.
  • 11
    Seed, chop and reserve the ancho chili.
  • 12
    Chef’s Note: Slice one of the lemons into 5 generous slices, and then zest the other lemon, and squeeze. Reserve the zest and the lemon slices, zest, and juice.
  • 13
    Place a large ovenproof pan over medium heat.
  • 14
    Chef’s Note: This pan will hold the all the ingredients for the stew.
  • 15
    When the pan is at temperature, take the chicken thighs out of the marinade, and place skin-side-down.
  • 16
    Chef’s Note: Don’t shake off any of the marinade; just place them in the hot pan.
  • 17
    Allow the chicken to cook until the skin begins to crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes.
  • 18
    Chef’s Note: Don’t crowd the pan... if necessary do two at a time.
  • 19
    Flip the chicken over and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes.
  • 20
    Remove chicken, and reserve.
  • 21
    Place a rack in the middle position, and preheat the oven to 350f (175c).
  • 22
    Remove all but two tablespoons of fat from the pan.
  • 23
    Reduce the heat to medium low and then add the rice to the fat and stir to coat.
  • 24
    Add the onion and garlic, and cook until the onions soften, about 5 minutes.
  • 25
    Deglaze the pan by adding the wine.
  • 26
    Allow the liquid to simmer for 5 minutes.
  • 27
    Add the chicken stock, and stir to incorporate.
  • 28
    Add the remainder of the ingredients; except the lemon slices and the chicken, and stir to combine.
  • 29
    Add the chicken thighs, skin side up, and then distribute the lemon slices over the top.
  • 30
    Cover and place into the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.
  • 31
    Remove cover and continue to bake for an additional 10 minutes.
  • 32
    PLATE/PRESENT
  • 33
    Place on a heatproof trivet, and serve with some nice crusty bread, and maybe some steamed broccoli. Enjoy.
  • 34
    Keep the faith, and keep cooking.
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