One of Karen and Richard Carpenter’s biggest top 40 hits lamented that “rainy days and Mondays always get me down”. Not so in our home!  Despite having fresh spring-time colds and congestion we decided to open the dutch-door in the kitchen/breakfast room, let the sound of the storms fill our home and get down to creating a comforting dish. It is ironic that one of Karen Carpenter’s songs might inspire us to cook. Nonetheless the list of needed ingredients was simple and available in our pantry and refrigerator.  So off we went.

yes, that is an entire pod of garlic sliced in half!

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

2 large carrots, cut into matchsticks

1 medium yellow onion, diced

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1/4 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 bay leaves

1 cup Chardonnay, use what you would drink. Don’t cheap out!

1 box low salt chicken broth, Kitchen Basics brand preferred

2 cup medium grain white rice ( such as Jasmine) or wild rice, we prefer the simple white

1 head garlic, cut in 1/2

1/2 cup grated parmesan, go ahead and grate it yourself. You can do it.

1/3 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

METHOD:

Get everything you will need prepped ahead so that when it comes time to cook you can easily move through the process. Trim the thighs to remove any excess fat or skin left by the butcher. Cut into one inch pieces. Put that nasty raw chicken on the other side of the kitchen and sanitize your workspace with bleach/water. Get out a different cutting board. Peel carrots and cut into matchsticks. Dice Onion.  Put chicken broth is a separate bean pot and warm over a low heat. Put the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter into a medium high heat large Dutch oven. Once butter is melted throw the carrots and onions in the hot tub. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and cook until tender and just golden (7-8 minutes). Now it’s time for that nasty raw chicken to go into the hot tub. It’s joined by the bay leaves, another teaspoon of salt and the black pepper. Stir occasionally so that the meat is browned on all sides ( 7-10 minutes).

Now the party starts! Add the wine and turn the heat up. Boil down the wine while scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Cook until the wine is almost evaporated. Add the warm chicken stock and stir in the rice. Place the cut head of garlic cut side down in the middle of the pot on top of the rice. Drop the temp to low, cover, and simmer until rice is fully cooked (15-18 minutes).

Turn off the heat, gently remove the garlic, and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Let that melt and then follow it with the grated parmesan and chopped parsley. Stir.

The dish should be creamy and immediately give you a warm sense of comfort.

Enjoy it with those you love.