Ingredients

• • 4 chicken thighs
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 medium carrots, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 cups fruity red wine, such a Bordeaux or burgundy
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 5 black peppercorns
  • 4 parsley stems
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1 cup long-grain rice

Preparing the Chicken

• Pat the chicken with paper towels and season it with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

  Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.

  Fry the chicken until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes total cooking time. Set the chicken aside in a shallow dish.

Stewing the Chicken

• Add the carrots, onions and garlic to the Dutch oven. Saute the vegetables until caramelized and add the tomato paste. Cook the tomato paste until it darkens to a rust-like color.

  Deglaze the pan with the red wine. Pour in the chicken stock and add the bay leaf, black peppercorns and parsley stems.

  Return the chicken to the Dutch oven along with any juice collected in the pan. Bring the wine and stock to a simmer.

  Simmer the chicken until fall-off-the-bone tender, about 45 minutes. Remove the chicken and set it aside.

  Mix the butter and flour into a cohesive ball between your palms. Add the mixture to the stew.

  Taste the stew and adjust the seasoning as needed with kosher salt. Simmer the stew until it reduces by half, about 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.

  Return the chicken to the Dutch oven and set the heat to low. Let the chicken heat for a few minutes.

Preparing the Rice and Serving

• Bring 2 cups of salted water to a boil when you start stewing the chicken. Add the rice and stir it for a few seconds.

  Turn the heat on the stove to low when the water returns to a boil. Cover the saucepan.

  Cook the rice for 15 minutes. The rice will be a bit firm in the center, but carryover cooking will finish it.

  Add olive oil or butter to taste to the rice. Stir the rice periodically while the chicken stews.

  Ladle the rice into a casserole or other large serving dish. Lay the chicken on top of the rice and pour the remaining stew over it. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Cooking Notes and Tips

• If you don't have a Dutch oven, use a deep heavy-bottomed pan with a tight-fitting lid. Regular pots and pans don't retain moisture and heat as efficiently as Dutch ovens, so check the liquid level while the chicken simmers. Add water as needed to keep it covered by about half.

  Save stove space and stew the chicken in the oven. Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Saute the vegetables, add the wine, stock and chicken then place the Dutch oven in the regular oven. Cook stew for 45 minutes and serve over rice.

  Add secondary ingredients to the stew after you remove the chicken. Mushrooms, pearl onions and corn are a few vegetables that finish cooking by the time the sauce reduces.