Adapted from the Chardonnay chapter of “100 Perfect Pairings: Main Dishes to Enjoy with Wines You Love” by Jill Silverman Hough (Wiley, 2011)
This one-skillet dinner features one of the all-time great combinations—chicken, rice, and seasonal vegetables. I skewed it for spring by including peas, carrots, and leeks, but it’d be just as good with brussels sprouts and potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower, a mixture of mushrooms, or any combination thereof in the winter and fall.
No matter when you make it, though, make sure to use a skillet that’s large enough to get good browning on the chicken. For more about the difference that browning makes and how to ensure it, read this post.
Serves 4
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (1 3/4 to 2 1/4 pounds)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, divided, or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided, or more to taste
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press or minced
- 1 1/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1/3 cup Chardonnay, or other dry white wine
- 2 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen peas (no need to thaw if frozen)
- 1 cup uncooked white and wild rice blend (see below)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram, plus more for garnish
Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper.
In a skillet large enough to hold the chicken without crowding, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook until brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn and brown the other side, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 10 seconds. Add the broth and wine (be careful—the mixture may splatter) and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet. Stir in the carrot, leek, peas, rice, marjoram, remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Nestle the chicken and any accumulated juices back into the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the liquid is absorbed, the rice is tender, and the chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes. Taste, ideally with your wine, and add salt and/or pepper if you like.
Serve hot, garnished with additional marjoram.
NOTE White and wild rice have different cooking times. But when a mixture contains both, the wild rice has been partially cooked so that it’ll be ready at the same time as the white rice. In other words, be sure to use an already-mixed white and wild rice blend, or your white rice will be done when your wild rice is still very al dente.