On the Iberian Peninsula

• Two of the staples in Spanish cuisine go with whatever other ingredients you put into your chicken stew -- almonds and saffron. Add the saffron when you begin to cook the rice, but save the almonds to add just before serving the rice so they stay crunchy. For more flavorful almonds, toast them first in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for seven minutes. If you have time, blanch the nuts first to remove their skins.

Cooking in a Stewpot or Tagine

• The Middle Eastern countries bordering on the Mediterranean include Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria. Their cuisines share features that you can use in flavoring the rice you serve with chicken stews from this region. For example, a spiced rice dish might include cinnamon, cumin, saffron, pomegranate seeds and dried apricots. Or if the stew itself doesn't include olives, add sliced green olives and bits of preserved lemon to the rice after it finishes cooking.

Ooh La La

• In Southern France, herbes de Provence dominate the cuisine and should appear in your rice as well, no matter what other ingredients you put into the chicken stew. You can buy herbes de Provence blends or make your own with dried basil, fennel seed, lavender, marjoram, rosemary, sage, summer savory and thyme. Use all or some of these herbs, going easy on the more pungent fennel or lavender. Or use one or two chopped fresh herbs, stirred into the rice right before serving.

Beyond Pasta

• Rice balls, risotto, and tomatoes stuffed with rice are all Italian rice dishes that you could serve alongside an Italian-style chicken stew. But if you want to serve the stew over rice, keep the rice simple, and stir in some flavorful olive oil with a light sprinkling of fresh, chopped oregano or marjoram right before serving. If you want rice with more flavor, add small diced vegetables that complement the vegetables in the stew.