Two Non Blondes: Ancho Chicken and Rice

There’s been some chit-chat that TNB are anti-blonde. That’s not the case. TNB are very inclusive, we’re just not golden-haired ourselves. We love our blonde friends’ cooking. So much so, this recipe is an homage to our gorgeous friend, Tall Blonde, who taught Brown Mummy when she was just a novice, a liability in the kitchen.

You will need:

1 large dried ancho chili 2 bay leaves

3 cups chicken stock 1½ tsp gd coriander

2 tbsp butter 1 tsp gd cumin

1 cup white rice 1/8 tsp gd cinnamon

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) a few pinches of gd cloves

2 onions, chopped salt + pepper

2 stalks celery, chopped 28oz can diced tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, grated 8 chicken drumsticks/breasts

[plus half a cup of chopped parsley and some EVOO to serve]

ALL the things.

You will also need: a small pan, a medium saucepan, a large saucepan and a large skillet.

Place the ancho chili in Mr. Small Pan, along with 1 cup of stock, and bring to a boil.

Decrease the heat, and simmer until chili softens (about ten minutes).

Watch that bad boy grow ;)

Meanwhile, bring two cups of stock and the butter to a boil in Mr. Medium Pan. Stir in the rice, cover and simmer until cooked (about 20 minutes).

Keep an eye on the pan. Keep the other eye on WINE.

Lazy eye? Drunk eye? I told you to keep an eye on the pan.

In the largest of all saucepans (oh alright, a 4-quart pan), heat two tbsp EVOO over medium heat. Add onions, celery, garlic, coriander (No ground coriander? See Tip #3 above), cumin, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves.

Onions.

Celery.

Garlic.

Keep those bay leaves as whole as possible.

TNB likes it spicy, so we added a little sprinkle of cayenne pepper for fun.

Gratuitous close-up of herbs

Make it as spicy as you like. Take it from us: ‘tis better to add a little sprinkle of many spices (for complex warmth) rather than a sh!t-ton of just one kind of spice. Season with salt and pepper, and stir the vegetables till soft.


Ask Red Mummy to pose seductively with a bowl.

Add those diced tomatoes (and do NOT cut your finger on the can afterwards, not even if you have an up-to-date tetanus shot. It still hurts.)

Action shot.

Stir, stir, and stir some more.

Once all the flavours have combined, about 5 minutes, discard the bay leaves.

Seriously, take out those bay leaves.

Pour in the rehydrated chili, with liquid...

...grab your electric hand blender (thanks Sadie!)...

En garde!

...and puree the entire mixture until "consistently lumpy". Depending on your palate, you might like to remove the chili seeds before rehydrating (or even afterwards), but TNB like spice, so we left them in.

"Consistently lumpy"

This is a good time to check on your saucepan of rice. Taste to check "doneness":

If your nostrils don't flare, it's not hot enough.

Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Leave covered, with the heat off, until ready to serve.

In your large skillet, heat two tbsp EVOO over medium heat (you might like to remove the other pots and pans from the stove, so that you have enough room to begin chicken operations). Season chicken and cook (skin side down, if you’re not using skinless chicken) until browned.

Chickens be angry. They spit. Git yourself a splatter guard if you don't want to look like a burns victim.

An excellent complement to your electric hand-held blender.

Flip chicken and cook for another 3-5 minutes before transferring into Mr. Large Saucepan. Don’t worry if the chicken isn’t cooked all the way through; it’ll cook in the sauce.