TRAY BAKED SPICED CHICKEN WITH QUINCE AND RICE
Recipe
One pot cooking is all about maximum flavour, oven-to-table eating and the bonus, minimal cleaning up. Here, the spice-infused rice has a light crust on top and is fluffy underneath. It acts as a bed for the chicken and quince, keeping the flesh moist while baking.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towel, then season with salt and grinding of pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy based frying pan or deep sided baking dish (20cm x 30cm) over a medium-high heat.
Add the chicken skin side down, cook until dark golden brown, about 6-7 minutes. Flip over and cook other side for 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Spoon out half of the rendered fat (discard or save for other cooking uses).
Return the pan to the heat, add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are soft and lightly golden. Stir in the rice and spread out evenly. Scatter over the lemon peel, cardamom seeds, ground cumin, cinnamon quill and a teaspoon of salt.
Pour over the lemon juice and hot stock. Arrange the chicken pieces skin side up and the quince wedges over the top nestling into the rice. Cover the baking dish or pan with a large piece of foil sealing around the edges.
Carefully transfer to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and take off the foil (be careful of the escaping steam). Return to the oven for a further 15 minutes to finish cooking. Transfer the hot baking dish to bench and set aside 5 minutes before serving.
Serve scattered with fresh coriander sprigs.
Ingredients
8 chicken thighs with skin and bone in (also called chicken chops)
1 teaspoon sea salt
Black pepper
¼ cup (60ml) olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
1 garlic, chopped
300g (1 ½ cups) long grain rice, rinsed and drained
Peel and juice of a lemon
seeds from 3 crushed cardamom pods
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cinnamon quill
625ml (2 ½ cups) chicken or vegetable stock, warmed to a simmer
1 quince (about 220g), cut into 6 wedges and cores removed
Handful of coriander sprigs, for garnish
