Servings
4-6
Ready In:
30-40 mins
Good For:
Lunch, Supper or Dinner
Ingredients
-
600g boneless chicken- cut into 1cm thick slices
- 900ml boiling water (or 900ml fresh stock, remove stock powder)
- 450g long grain rice- washed well and drained
- 400g spinach- washed (large leaf or baby)
- 20ml vegetable oil
- 50ml olive oil
- 2tsp chicken stock powder
- 3 onions- quite finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic- smashed
- 3 tsp tomato puree
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
- 1tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp mustard powder
- 3 bayleaves
- 1 lemon- zest and juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Place the chicken pieces into a bowl and season with paprika, cayenne pepper, oregano, vegetable oil and onion powder. Mix through and then season with salt and pepper.
Heat a large frying pan over a high heat for 1min, and then add half the chicken to sear. Don’t stir too much and if you can just add the chicken and turn over once. Cook each side for 1min. Remove the chicken onto a cold plate and then return the pan to heat again for a minute.
Add the rest of the chicken and sear both sides for 1 min. Place rest of the chicken onto a plate.
Step 2
Over a high heat and using a large pot, heat for 1 min. Add olive oil followed by onions and garlic. Season and cook for 3-4 mins until lightly browned.
Add cumin seeds, coriander, mustard powder and bay leaves, stir through. While cooking on high heat still, add the well-drained rice and tomato puree, cook and stir for 2mins.
Step 3
We’ll now add our stock base to the rice. Add boiling water and stock powder or fresh chicken stock to the rice and heat, stir until it simmers. Season with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
As soon as the liquid simmers, add the chicken over the rice and cover the pot with a lid.
Lower the temperature to low to medium heat and cook for 14mins. DO NOT stir during this time.
Step 4
Once the rice and chicken has cooked for 14mins, remove the pot from the heat and place over a stand so air can circulate under the pot (slightly elevated).
Don’t remove the lid. Leave the rice to stand for 6mins and again, please don’t stir.
Step 5
After 6mins of resting the rice and chicken are cooked. Remove the lid and gently stir the rice and chicken together. Try not to over stir as this will make the rice sticky.
Stir for about 5 seconds, scatter the spinach, lemon zest and juice over. Season lightly and replace the lid on the pot for 4mins.
Step 6
Once the spinach has steamed in the cooking vapours for 4mins, remove the lid, stir and start serving.
The chicken will be tender and succulent due to the gradual resting and prior searing in a pan.
This is a great dish that can easily be made up for large numbers or the day before and used in burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, salads, egg hash… you name it!!
Step 7
We at Family Kitchen with Mark would love to see your creations. If you make this dish, why not post and use the hashtag #familykitchenwithmark for a chance of a prize.
If we use your photo on our social media pages, we’ll gift you a free box of artisan doughnuts made with sourdough starter in delicious four flavours.
Recipients must either live in the Wellington region, come for a visit or gift your box to a lucky friend that does.
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