ONE-POT CHICKEN RICE, easy, healthy, tasty

Easy, mild, lovely chicken rice: flavoursome main course ...

Chicken Rice: gloriously savoury (here with hoisin sauce)

'Bautifully moist and delicately flavoured' 'not boring!' Tasters 

Chicken Rice is wholesome and sustaining; its delicate flavours satisfy healthy appetites but can soothe and comfort a dicky stomach.   

The dish pretty well cooks itself.  It can be served as it is but a trio of piquant sauces, served on the side, enlivens the dish.   

For singletons, leftovers are easily portioned up and frozen.

Brown rice is best for this dish; the high fibre content is beneficial to the gut.

Cost: £5 to £10, depending on the chicken
Feeds: 4

Ingredients:
   1 cup brown rice
   2-3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
   2 x 1/4 inch slices fresh ginger, peeled

   1 whole chicken, the best you can afford, backbone removed (save for stock) & breast flattened OR 4 chicken quarters
   med onion, pref red but white will do, finely diced

   couple of handfuls small cauliflower florets
   generous handful green beans or mange toute, string removed

  Garnish: small dish each of
      reduced salt soy sauce
      oyster or hoisin sauce
      ginger-scallion sauce

Method:

1. Place rice in a sieve over a biggish bowl; run cold water from the tap over it, making sure all the grains are wet.  (If the grains aren't wet, they will float to the top and down your drain. Not good.)  Let the water run until it's  clear, say 5 mins
2. Add rice to a large pot with 2 cups water or stock and the diced onion; stir; place garlic & ginger on top
   
3. Bring to the boil
4. Remove skin from chicken 
5. When water is boiling, turn heat down to med high, place chicken flesh side down on the rice -  it will begin to cook in the heat & steam from the rice
   
6. Partially cover with a lid; allow rice to bubble gently until nearly all the water has gone and holes start appearing in the surface of the rice - it will take 15-20mins 
   
7. Carefully flip chicken over; the flesh side will now be uppermost; scatter over cauliflower florets
   
8. Cover with a lid lined with a clean tea towel - this helps grains remain separate
9. Reduce heat to low
10. After 10 mins, scatter over green beans, mangetout, broccoli or peas
11. Cook until veg are al dente, 3-5mins 
12. Check the chicken; there should be no pink inside
13. Place veg and chicken in a dish; cover & keep warm 
14. Remove garlic and ginger from rice (they should be easy to find)
15. Break up the chicken; serve alongside rice and vegetables
    
16. Serve with sauces on the side 

Comments:
'After a week with gastric something-or-other, I was still weak and very empty.  I could prepare this in stages, resting in between.  The rice ended up beautifully moist and delicately flavoured with ginger, garlic and chicken.  Though really comforting and easy to digest, it wasn't in the least boring.  Definitely one for the 'ill and infirm.'  Retired writer 

Tip:
If you liked this you will also like Bacon Rice Supper & Flash-Fried Lamb

More chicken on NavBar/Recipes I...
More rice on NavBar/Recipes II...

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This recipe has  been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.