The Best Dinner I've Ever Created

I made food last night that makes people say, "Holy God!" Well, at least one person said that. All right, it was me. But I'm serious... this was THE BEST chicken I've EVER concocted. I don't typically follow recipes or write down the ingredients after I invent something seriously delicious... but this was too good not to record. So here is the recipe:

chicken parts (legs, thighs, breasts, whatever you have - skin on).
olive oil
2 small onions, quartered
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 plump, juicy garden tomato (2 if the tomato is small)
3 bay leaves
1 sprig fresh thyme
half a small bottle of capers
4 or 5 calamata olives
fresh lemon
water
white rice

Drizzle the pan with olive oil (don't be chintzy now - we're going for flavor) and add the chicken parts, onion and garlic pieces. Get this to sizzle up a bit, then add the tomato and let that sautee a bit longer. Pour in enough water to mostly cover the chicken and add your 3 bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Keep the heat on medium-high until it boils, then lower to maybe medium or low if you have more time. Halfway through, remove the chicken skin and any stray bones if you can.

Add capers and olives and then pour in a few handfuls of the white rice (don't you love the precision?). Cook until chicken is no longer pink in the center and rice is of edible consistency. Remove from heat, cool down for a while and try to skim some of the fat that's collected in pools on the surface. (Mmmmm... FAT.)

Slice the lemon into quarters and squeeze into the mixture, then stir thoroughly.

Is this chicken cacciatore, or some Spanish recipe, or perhaps both? I don't know what it is but BOY IT'S GOOD! I'm eating it cold and my mouth is having multiple orgasms. Not that I know what those are, but, you know.

Dina at Wordfeeder.com Copywriting and Marketing

Comments

[Ann Zuccardy]

This looks yummy and I will definitely try it. These are all ingredients I have on hand.

Today, it is rainy and cold in Vermont and I've whipped up a vegetarian chili in the crock pot...some nutty brown rice on the side and we're "good to go" as Rachael Ray says. However, unlike you, I wouldn't be able to tell you how much of each ingredient I used and I'm darn glad you thought to figure out your measurements for your audience! I just wing it every time.

Now, onto a different topic; Ann venting. This morning I watched a cooking show in which the chef referred to "pureed potatoes" and the proceeded to tell the audience that they were Yukon Gold potatoes with a bit of cream and butter. Ummmm...duh...but wouldn't us average folk call that "mashed potatoes"? I really hate it when cooks use complex terms to describe old ideas. Or am I being dense here? Is there a difference between mashed and pureed potatoes that I might have missed?

Love,
Anniezee, Queen of Shortbread

[Dina]

I didn't figure out the ingredient measurements. You just *think* you see them because you don't cook by the book either!

"chicken parts" - i don't know, just fill up the pan!! duhh.