Around the world in a bowl of rice... or, Is my blog burning?




So I committed to this blog cooking thing, formally known as Is My Blog Burning? The theme this go 'round is Around the World in a Bowl of Rice. The idea was, as I understood it, to make a rice dish that either is from or references your ancestry and then post the recipe and a picture of said dish. Easy enough. And then somewhere around, oh say, Friday I remembered that my people - who hailed from all over the globe - weren't really rice eaters. Oh, sure, there are a couple dishes picked up from here and there and many of the cuisines I have not yet fully explored, but there was no obvious choice.


So I ended up with a chicken and rice dish that incorporated and referenced elements from many different cuisines. I also cribbed some procedural elements from a recipe recently posted by Smallhands. The picture will come along shortly - it's currently resident on the camera, which my husband has with him at the moment.




With all of this in mind, I present to you:




Global Chicken and Rice




1) Season four bone-in split chicken breasts generously with salt and pepper on both sides. In a Dutch oven, brown the breasts in 4 tablespoons olive oil, making sure that both sides are a nice golden color. Remove from pan.


2) Cook in the hot oil three or four diced shallots and three or four minced garlic cloves until the onions are translucent. Add a half a cup of diced carrot, stir, and continue cooking for five minutes.


3) Stir into the pot a cup of long grain white rice. Add a cup and a half of water and a half a cup of dry white wine. Bring to a boil, add the chicken breasts back into the pan and cover. Cook until the rice is nearly done.


4) When the rice is just about cooked, stir in a cup of green peas (fresh or frozen) and replace the cover on the pan to cook until the rice is done.


5) Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. Stir 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese into the rice along with 3 tablespoons finely chopped basil. Let sit for a few minutes.


6) Pour rice into a large bowl or platter. Top with chicken. Sprinkle with black pepper, paprika, and chopped parsley. Very lightly sprinkle with the juice from a fresh lemon.


7) Serve with steamed broccoli which has been sprinkled with a few drops of sesame oil.


So there you have it. When I was typing it all out I realized that it all sounds a bit much...to much going on and too many flavors. Trust me, though, they all work well together and it's a nice dish for a simple family meal - which is how we ate it. The leftover rice was consumed for this morning's breakfast and it was even better after a night's rest.


Now, I'm off to see what everyone else has done. If you're interested, you can start at Chez Pim. Join me, won't you?