Chicken in the Pot

I love to cook. I have my standards for the family based on the season. Chicken in the pot is one of my fall and winter dishes. Everyone loves it and is always requested once there is a chill in the air. So, I thought I’d share.

Use a big pot. I use one of the Le Creuset dutch oven pots that I also use for brisket and stews.

Ingredients:
One large chicken – seasoned with salt, pepper and paprika
2 cups rice
2 onions – diced
1 bag of small carrots
2 cups white wine
1 1/2 cups chicken broth or water (chicken broth is definitely tastier)
mirepox (peppercorns, thyme or herbs de provence, 2 bay leaves inside cheesecloth and tied into a ball)

Heat the bottom on the pot with canola oil. Put the chicken in and brown on all sides. If isn’t necessary but it does help seal chicken. If you don’t want to do it – don’t bother and start with the next step. Saute the onions and carrots in canola oil until soft. Add your chicken. Pour in wine and broth. Put in mireopox sack. Bring to boil. Put on lid, and bring down to simmer for about one hour. After an hour, add the rice. Make sure you pour the rice into the liquid areas so that it gets absorbed. Put the lid back on, keep at simmer and let sit another 20 minutes to half an hour. Just make sure that the rice is getting soft. If the rice is not totally done after 20 minutes and there is no more liquid left – then throw some more water into the pot, put the lid back on and let the rice continue to cook. You could actually turn off the stove at this point and just let the pot sit covered for another 10 minutes or so. You really can’t fail. You might get a bit of a burnt bottom pot, but you can always soak it over night.

Now, pull out the chicken. Cut up and serve with the rice. Voila!