Chicken and Rice with Anchovies, Olives, and Lemon
By America's Test KitchenPublished on September 15, 2011
Time
1½ hours
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds), rinsed, patted dry and cut into 8 pieces, wings reserved for another useSalt and ground black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped fine5 anchovy fillets, minced3 cloves garlic, minced very fine1 ½ cups long grain white rice 1 can (14 ½ ounces) diced tomatoes, drained (about 1 cup) and ½ cup liquid reserved½ cup white wine 1 teaspoon table salt ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest 1 tablespoon lemon juice from 1 small lemon½ cup imported black olives, pitted and halved
Before You Begin
Though we rarely suggest stirring rice while it cooks, in this dish it is necessary, or the top layer might dry out or be undercooked. If you prefer, substitute two pounds of breast meat or boneless thighs for the pieces of a whole chicken.
Instructions
- Sprinkle chicken pieces liberally on both sides with salt and ground black pepper. Heat oil until shimmering in large, heavy, non-reactive Dutch oven over high heat. Add chicken pieces skin side down; cook, without moving them, until well browned, about 6 minutes. Turn chicken pieces over with tongs and cook, again without moving them, until well browned on second side, about 6 minutes longer. Remove from pot and set aside.
- Pour all but 2 tablespoons fat from pot; return to burner. Reduce heat to medium; add onion and anchovies and sauté, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, approximately 1 minute longer. Stir in rice and cook, stirring frequently, until coated and glistening, about 1 minute longer. Add tomatoes with reserved liquid, wine, salt, and 2 cups water, scraping browned bits off pot bottom with wooden spoon. Return chicken thighs and legs to pot; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add chicken breast pieces and stir ingredients gently until rice is thoroughly mixed; replace cover and simmer until both rice and chicken are tender, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Stir in parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, and olives, cover pot, and allow dish to rest for 5 minutes; serve immediately.
Time
1½ hoursYield
Serves 4Ingredients
1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds), rinsed, patted dry and cut into 8 pieces, wings reserved for another use
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
5 anchovy fillets, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced very fine
1 ½ cups long grain white rice
1 can (14 ½ ounces) diced tomatoes, drained (about 1 cup) and ½ cup liquid reserved
½ cup white wine
1 teaspoon table salt
⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice from 1 small lemon
½ cup imported black olives, pitted and halved
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds), rinsed, patted dry and cut into 8 pieces, wings reserved for another use
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
5 anchovy fillets, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced very fine
1 ½ cups long grain white rice
1 can (14 ½ ounces) diced tomatoes, drained (about 1 cup) and ½ cup liquid reserved
½ cup white wine
1 teaspoon table salt
⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice from 1 small lemon
½ cup imported black olives, pitted and halved
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds), rinsed, patted dry and cut into 8 pieces, wings reserved for another use
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
5 anchovy fillets, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced very fine
1 ½ cups long grain white rice
1 can (14 ½ ounces) diced tomatoes, drained (about 1 cup) and ½ cup liquid reserved
½ cup white wine
1 teaspoon table salt
⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice from 1 small lemon
½ cup imported black olives, pitted and halved
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We wanted to develop a chicken and rice recipe that would give us a dish that was moist, flavorful, and clean-tasting as well as easy to make. To avoid overcooked breast meat, we simply added it to the pot about 15 minutes after the legs went in. To avoid heavy, greasy rice we reduced the amount of liquid (a combination of white wine and water) added to the rice. Although we tried (and liked) basmati rice in our chicken and rice recipe, we settled for long-grain rice as being most appropriate for this wholesome, satisfying dish.
Before You Begin
Though we rarely suggest stirring rice while it cooks, in this dish it is necessary, or the top layer might dry out or be undercooked. If you prefer, substitute two pounds of breast meat or boneless thighs for the pieces of a whole chicken.
Instructions
- Sprinkle chicken pieces liberally on both sides with salt and ground black pepper. Heat oil until shimmering in large, heavy, non-reactive Dutch oven over high heat. Add chicken pieces skin side down; cook, without moving them, until well browned, about 6 minutes. Turn chicken pieces over with tongs and cook, again without moving them, until well browned on second side, about 6 minutes longer. Remove from pot and set aside.
- Pour all but 2 tablespoons fat from pot; return to burner. Reduce heat to medium; add onion and anchovies and sauté, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, approximately 1 minute longer. Stir in rice and cook, stirring frequently, until coated and glistening, about 1 minute longer. Add tomatoes with reserved liquid, wine, salt, and 2 cups water, scraping browned bits off pot bottom with wooden spoon. Return chicken thighs and legs to pot; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add chicken breast pieces and stir ingredients gently until rice is thoroughly mixed; replace cover and simmer until both rice and chicken are tender, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Stir in parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, and olives, cover pot, and allow dish to rest for 5 minutes; serve immediately.
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