Dinner in a pot, a cast iron pot recipe, Herby Chicken Pot Rice

It’s getting cooler after dusk and I have made warm and comfy pot rice more often, Cantonese pot rice mostly, such as Cantonese sausage rice, shiitake mushroom and chicken rice, pork ribs rice, or beefcake rice. Besides Cantonese style pot rice, I also love to use non-Chinese seasoning and other rice cooking technique.

This herby chicken rice is more like a western-Indian rice recipe. You could use chicken breast but I prefer juicy chicken thighs with skin on. For a more balanced meal, some vegetable sides are needed. I made baked new potato, pickled carrot and stir-fried mushroom and cucumber.

You may have noticed I like to use cast iron pot or casserole. Cantonese pot rice is usually made with small clay pot. However, due to my induction hob home, cast-iron pot is the better choice. And it produces softer, cooked-thoroughly rice with evenly crispy rice crust. To save more time preparing, marinate the chicken in the morning before leaving home for work. It only takes half an hour cooking.

More of my pot rice recipes – Cantonese Dried Seafood and Dried Sausage Pot Rice, Salty Duck Egg and Meatcake Pot Rice, Cantonese Sausage Clay Pot Rice with Cast Iron Pot

• Ingredients –
  Chicken thigh, 3, for 3 serving;
  Rice, 2 cups, any long-grain rice would do, washed and drained;
  Chicken broth, 2 cups;
  Onion, half, finely chopped;
• Seasoning ingredients –
  Paprika, cumin seeds, freshly grind black pepper, dry parsley, turmeric, 1/2 tsp each;
  Garlic, 2 cloves, minced;
  Light soy sauce, 1tbsp;
  Salt.

How to do –
1. Marinate the chicken – mix all seasoning ingredients with chicken, a tiny nip of salt, marinate in fridge for at least half an hour, or even overnight;

2. Heat a little olive oil in hot pot, lower to medium heat, pan-fry the chicken, skin side down, till golden. Meat would easily get burnt after marinating, be careful;

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3. Remove the chicken thighs from the pot, no need to wash the pot, stir-fry onion dices till fragrant;

4. Then add the rice in, mix well; pour in the chicken broth, a nip of salt to taste, in high heat till boiling, then lid on, turn down to low heat and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, the rice should be half set by now;

5. Put the chicken on top of the rice, lid on, in low heat, cook for 15 more minutes;

6. Heat off and let it sit for at least 10 minutes, then it’s good to serve. A little more salt and pepper to taste.