You can make delicious tender flavorful chicken with a flavorful side very easily. Just season and brown up your chicken, Use the drippings to season the vegetables, add liquid rice and it all goes in one big pot or actually a big baking dish in the oven and comes out amazing. It’s important to know that the chicken skin won’t come out crisp enough to eat (unless you care to fry it afterwards). It’s also important to cook with a thermometer so you know when the chicken is safe to eat. The chicken must reach 165 degree F to be safe to eat. I prefer my dark chicken to be cooked to between 180 f – 200 f so the chicken comes off the bone and still is all soft and tender. Since ovens differ and pans also differ I can’t tell you the exact timing you need. You need to cook till rice has cooked and when the chicken is at least 165 degrees F (or more). For me usually these dishes get done in 90-120 minutes if on the middle rack. So check at 90 minutes at that point every 15 minutes more will put about 10 degrees higher on the chicken. Rice needs a fluff with the fork at the end.

Ingredients for around 6 portions

4 lbs chicken quarters (3 or 4 large chicken quarters)

kosher salt to taste (to season chicken on both sides)

ground black pepper to taste (to season chicken on both sides)

granulated garlic to taste (to season chicken on both sides)

1 sweet onion – chopped

1 fennel – core removed – sliced thin – save some fronds

3 oranges – remove skin and white with a knife – remove and seeds – chop around pea sized

2 celery ribs – chopped

1 carrot – peeled – thick slices

13 garlic cloves – chopped

1 Tablespoon vegetable soup base (less sodium than salt and more flavor)

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 bunch parsley – just the leaves – depending on size maybe chopped slightly

1 cup rice (I used short green bamboo rice…I thought it worked pretty well here but almost any rice will work)

1 1/2 cup water

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F.

Season the chicken on both sides with the salt, pepper and granulated garlic. Brown the chicken on both sides either in a medium high fry pan with a little oil or under a broiler for ten minutes a side. Set the chicken to the side and the drippings go in a pot with the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, fennel, soup base and black pepper. Cook on medium high till onions are soft. Add the water and bring to boil and after boil shut off heat and add the rice, orange, and parsley. All this goes in a really big pan or 1/2 buffet pan. Add the chicken and this gets covered tightly. Put this on a middle rack and check in 90 minutes. You are to cook till rice is done and chicken is at least 165 f degrees. I like chicken better when the dark meat is 180-200 F. When done remove the chicken and fluff up the rice with the fennel fronds and parsley.

Serve!

Everyone will love this.