Chicken with Rice; the Weekly Menu Planner

 This is from last weeks menu - but I didn't get  it posted earlier and I wanted you to see the pretty, yellow chicken I got from our farmer neighbor for letting his cows graze in our pasture.

 This  slow braising was perfect for it - and it's a traditional French  recipe!

Chicken with Rice  

1 whole chicken 
1 onion
5 - 6 medium carrots
2 cups white wine
1 cup chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 bouquet garni
1 tbs olive oil
2 tbs cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbs water
 
1/2 Basmati rice

The Chicken: Chop onion. Peel and cut carrots in half the long way. Then slice the carrots into 1/4" (.6cm) half circles (the short way). Heat oil in a pot or Dutch oven large enough to hold the chicken. Add the chicken and brown lightly on all sides. Remove. Add onion and carrots and sauté 5 minutes, just until the onion starts to get tender. Place the chicken on top of the onion and carrots. Add the wine, stock and herbs. Cover and simmer over low heat for 2 1/4 hours. 30 minutes before chicken is done start the rice.

The rice: Using a small ladle remove 1 cup of liquid from the chicken. Put it into a saucepan along with the rice. Don't worry if you get a bit of onion with the stock. Cover and cook over low heat until rice is done.

To finish: Remove the chicken. With a slotted spoon remove all of the carrots to a large bowl. Dissolve cornstarch in water. Turn heat up under the stock remaining in pot. Add cornstarch and thicken. Add the rice to the carrots and combine. Slice the chicken and serve, gravy on the side.

For the week of February 8, we're having Hot Spinach Salad, Creamy Scallops with Spanish Orzo, Shrimp Mary Rose, Rack of Lamb with an Herb Crust, Potatoes Savoyarde and Mini Meat Loaves    .

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Bon Weekend!