Chicken stew with artichokes and dried apricots over brown rice
Instructions:
- BROWN RICE:
- 2½ cups water;
- 1½ cups long-grain brown rice;
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt.
- CHICKEN STEW:
- 1½ pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts (3 to 4 pieces), trimmed, patted dry, and cut into 1-inch pieces;
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil;
- 1½ tablespoons unsalted butter, or more olive oil;
- 1 medium-size yellow onion, cut into ¼-inch dice (about 1½ cups);
- 2 stalks celery, halved lengthwise if large, and sliced ¼ inch thick (about 1 cup);
- ⅔ pound carrots, sliced ¼ inch thick (about 1½ cups);
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves);
- 2 tablespoons white whole wheat or regular whole wheat flour;
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth;
- 1 cup dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio;
- ½ pound frozen quartered artichoke hearts (about 2 cups; do not thaw);
- 4 (1½ by ½-inch) strips orange zest, white pith removed;
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt;
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper;
- 1 cup dried apricots, cut or snipped in half.
- TO FINISH:
- 1 to 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice;
- ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley.
- Start making the brown rice about 15 minutes before you cook the stew. Bring the water to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Add the rice and salt and return to a boil, stirring once. Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Fluff with two forks before serving.
- To make the stew, season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half the chicken pieces and cook on 1 side only until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a heatproof spatula, transfer the chicken pieces to a large plate. Add the remaining tablespoon of the olive oil and repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Decrease the heat to medium, add 1 tablespoon of the butter, and wait until it melts. Add the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic; cook until the onion softens, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen browned bits, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the broth, wine, artichoke hearts, orange zest, the salt and pepper, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen the browned bits. Cover, leaving the lid slightly askew, and bring to a gentle boil. Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook for 3 minutes. Add the apricots and the chicken, with any accumulated juices; return to a simmer and cook until the carrots are tender and the chicken is done, 5 to 7 minutes.
- To finish, remove the stew from the heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Taste for salt, pepper, and lemon juice and adjust. Stir in the remaining ½ tablespoon butter, cover, and let sit for 3 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve in deep soup plates over brown rice.
- TO GET A HEAD START: Use parboiled brown rice and finish cooking it when you start the stew. The stew, up through step 4, can be made 1 day ahead. Chill, covered. Gently warm just to a simmer over medium heat, adding a bit more water or broth to thin if needed. Finish as in step 5.