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Lemon Chicken with Rice Pilaf Eggstra-ordinaire

Submitted by: Craig

Serves 6 as written (or in our house, 2 people two nights in a row!)

Main Photo
 All Ready for a Lucky Diner!

Summary

All of the chicken ingredients will be combined and served over the rice.  The eggs and bacon will be placed on top of each prepared plate.  The chicken can simmer for over an hour, so it is recommended to complete the chicken, and then plan the eggs and rice together.  The eggs should still be reasonably hot when served.

Instructions & Ingredients

For Rice Pilaf

  • 4-5 fresh mushrooms, coarsely chopped
  • 1.5 cups basmati rice
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 2 cups water
  • 3T canola oil

For Chicken

  • 1 medium sweet onion coarsely diced
  • 6 chopped large garlic cloves
  • 4-8T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
  • Freshly ground salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 1 small-medium jar of pimentos
  • ½ cup salad olives
  • 2 lemons
  • lemon zest from one of the lemons
  • 8 oz +or-  Heavy Cream
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 1 15 oz can diced plum tomatoes
  • 6 Hardboiled, peeled eggs
  • 3 slices crisp bacon, chopped

Rice Pilaf

    Here is my standard rice recipe.  I only use Basmati rice as it cooks up really well every time and only takes about 20 minutes.
  • Add the canola oil to a medium sauce pan and heat the oil.
  • Add the coarsely chopped mushrooms and sauté for a few minutes.
  • Add the rice and stir, toasting the rice in the hot pan for 1-2 minutes.
  • Add the 1 cup of dry white wine and stir.
  • Add the 2 cups water and stir.
  • Bring to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat, stirring until the boiling has dropped off and the pan can be covered.
  • Cover and cook over low heat until all the liquid is absorbed.

Chicken Preparation

  • Heat the Olive Oil in a large skillet or sauté pan.  Cook the onion and garlic until softened.  Try to avoid browning the garlic as this can cause it to become bitter.
  • Lay the boned chicken thighs in the pan “unfolded”, in other words, not rolled up they way they come in the package.  Salt and pepper the thighs.  Cover and let brown.
  • Turn over the thighs, salt and pepper again.
  • Simmer covered for about 20 minutes until the chicken is really tender.  Using two forks, shred the chicken by pulling apart with the forks. 
  • Add the white wine to deglaze the pan.  Add the juice of one of the lemons.
  • Add the pimentos, salad olives and drained diced tomatoes.
  • Cover and simmer more.  How much?  No matter—20 minutes to an hour.
  • Meanwhile, begin preparation of the rice, the eggs and the bacon.
  • Hard boil 6 eggs. (Actually, one egg per serving.  This meal is great as leftovers, so if you’re only using half, you can boil more eggs the next night.)
  • Microwave the bacon until crisp.
  • When the rice is almost done, the eggs have been peeled and the bacon chopped into bits, add the lemon zest and the juice from the second lemon.
  • Add the Heavy Cream.  How much?  Depends upon how dry the mixture in the pan is.  The desired goal is to have a fairly thick, creamy mixture…not a soup.  You can add a little cream at a time until it reaches the consistency you want. 
  • Simmer to heat through uncovered.

Serving

  • Serve the rice pilaf onto a plate.
  • Cover with the chicken mixture.
  • Take one of the peeled eggs  and slice through the center, lengthwise, but leaving one end of the two halves attached. 
  • Place the egg on top of the chicken/rice mixture in the shape of a “V” or as close as you can get to that.
  • Garnish with the chopped bacon, salt and pepper.

 More About This Recipe

This recipe is really flexible.  The ingredients called for pimentos and salad olives.  I didn’t have pimentos when I did it, but I had a ¾ empty jar of salad olives that contained a lot of pimentos in the bottom of the jar.  I drained the jar and dumped it in.  If you don’t like green olives, use something you do like….peas, chickpeas, artichoke hearts, black olives….whatever you have on hand.

Basmati Rice:  Basmati rice is really expensive in a conventional grocery store.  A 2lb jar or box costs about $6.00.  Go to Costco, BJ’s or Sam’s Club.  I just bought a 15lb bag at BJ’s for $11.99.  If you have an Indian Grocery nearby that might give you a better deal too.