Chicken & Rice My Way

Hawaiians love rice, they also love chicken, usually chicken thighs because they are cheap and in my opinion better than breast, which have a tendency to be dry without as much flavor. My mother used to make chicken & rice for my father, brother, sister and I when we were growing up. Naturally being a lover of foods of all kinds, I have improved on her recipe over the years. My current recipe is similar to chicken & rice recipes found in many parts of the world, but with fewer spices, and is very easy to make. The result is rice that is fluffy rice that is full of flavor, moist dark meat chicken that falls off the bone, and vegetables that are sweet and tasty!  

Give it a try, I think you'll love it too:

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Chicken & Rice My Way
Ingredients:
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 cup of long-grain rice, toasted
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
1 small red bell pepper, diced
3 cloves of fresh garlic, finely diced
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups low-salt chicken stock
1 cup of frozen peas

Procedure:
Rinse thawed chicken thighs and pat dry with paper towels. Season them with salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning, set aside.

Toasted long grain rice

Using a 10-inch dry cast iron skillet, or whatever you've got, toast the rice over medium heat until it just starts to get that toasty color, don't overcook it, (toasting the rice is the key to this recipe, it gives the rice a wonderful flavor). When toasted, pour the rice into a plate or small bowl and set aside.

Sauted onions, red bell pepper, and garlic

Now using the same skillet, add the oil, onions, red bell pepper, garlic, and about 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Saute until the onion is transparent and starting to get a little caramelized. Remove the onion mixture to a small bowl or plate.

Juicy bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, skillet fried

Now put the seasoned chicken thighs in the skillet and brown over medium-high heat, but don't cook completely (add a little more oil if needed, but not too much).

In a medium pot, add the toasted rice, chicken stock, 1 teaspoon of salt, and the browned chicken thighs. Cover and bring to a low simmer. At this point cook for 20 minutes, covered, checking after 15 minutes to make sure that the rice is not burning.

Now using the same skillet, combine the cooked chicken and rice with the onions, peppers and garlic. Now add the thawed green peas, and gently mix everything together. You just need to let the heat of the rice to warm the peas. Taste the rice for additional seasoning if needed. Makes 2 large servings.

Note: You can double or triple this recipe depending on how many mouths you have to feed.