Spicy Chicken and Rice

Really good. If you make it with chicken breast, I would suggest cutting it up into little pieces to cook and then mix in after the rice is done cooking. That way it won't be too dry. I left out the olives. It has a nice sweet and spicy flavor to it, like a Moroccan dish.

Bon Appetit, September 2007

Prep: 25 minutes

Total: 45 minutes

4 Servings

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

4 large chicken thighs with skin and bones (about 2 lbs)

Ground cloves

1 1/2 cups diced seeded red bell peppers

1 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup golden raisins

1/3 cup coarsely chopped pitted imported green olives

4 small bay leaves

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 tsp hot chili paste (such as sambal oelek) or 1 small serrano chile, chopped

1 1/2 cups jasmine rice or long grain white rice (9 to 10 oz) rinsed, drained

2 to 2 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken generously with salt and pepper, then lightly with ground cloves. Add chicken to skillet and saute until brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate.

Pour off all but 4 tbsp fat from skillet. Add bell peppers, onion, raisins, olives, bay leaves, garlic, and chili paste to skillet. Saute until vegetables begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Press chicken into rice. Add 2 cups broth; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until chicken is cooked through and rice is tender, adding more broth if dry, about 20 minutes.