Chicken Pilaf

This is a recipe I tried several years ago and we've enjoyed it ever since. It's a good dish to take to a pot luck and can be served hot or at room temperature.

Chicken Pilaf

 Chicken:                                    

 2  whole chicken breasts with bone

 1   rib celery, chopped

 1   carrot, pared and chopped

 ½  small onion, chopped

 1   stick cinnamon

 4 cups water

 ½ tsp salt

Marinade:

3   cloves garlic, crushed with 1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup olive oil

1 ½ lemons, juiced

Rice:

1½ cups rice

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

chopped parsley

 Add first 7 ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil. Cover, turn to low heat and cook until chicken is falling off the bones. Remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside to cool. Reserve the broth and refrigerate until you prepare the rice.

Combine the marinade ingredients. Once cooled strip the chicken from the bones and toss with marinade. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

About 45 minutes before serving, skim fat off broth and measure reserved broth, adding water or chicken broth to make 3 cups then place in a pot and heat. Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add rice and salt. Stir rice until all grains are well coated with oil. Pour in hot broth and bring to a boil. Cook until the broth  level is just above that of the rice. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes and then turn off heat. Uncover and place paper towel across top of skillet and replace lid for 5 minutes.

Heat chicken and its marinade in the microwave or on the stove. Mix rice and chicken together, taste for seasoning. Heap mixture on a platter or in a bowl and garnish with toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley. Serves at least 6-10. I serve it with my salad and some good french bread. Enjoy!


(sorry for the BAD pic but I took it without my photographer!)