#36: Mustardy Roast Chicken Pieces & Leeky Rice
Last Sunday I mentioned that all I have been craving this winter are saucy, roasted, rich comforting foods. That’s what we have been eating, with the addition of some salads a few nights a week to balance everything out. This part of winter is very dull and boring to me. Everything has a looming hint of sadness, the days feel sleepy, and my bones are cold. So an uber comforting meal is something I’ll indulge in at the end of the day…every day.
Three of my all-time favorite foods are roast chicken, white rice, and mustard. Alone each is fantastic but together they make a magical warm hug on a plate. Or in my house in a bowl because I like everything from a bowl with low sides.
Let’s jump right in. This recipe is simple, uses two pans, and comes together in 40ish minutes. I’ll break down each component into three sections and you’ll have three new skills under your belt.
Roast Chicken Pieces
Roasting a whole chicken is simply the best. It isn’t too hard but it can feel overwhelming if you haven’t done it before and occasionally there are days when a whole roast chicken isn’t needed. For example, you might not need that much food, you might not have enough time, or you might only want a specific piece of chicken. Roasting bone-in and skin-on chicken pieces give you more flexibility with similar results as roasting a whole chicken.
We are breast and thigh lovers in this house. Wings don’t excite us and the legs are our least favorite part. For this recipe, I buy two breasts and two thighs from the butcher counter and roast up our favorite pieces. Please note I said from the butcher counter! No need to break down a whole chicken when we can buy the pieces we need individually. If you like thighs, do all thighs. The same goes for breasts. If you do enjoy eating the legs by all means roast those guys up too!
If you plan to mix chicken breasts with legs and thighs, cut the breasts in half making them a similar size as the dark meat pieces. This helps all the pieces cook in the same time frame. You can use a heavy knife and just slice right down the middle cutting through the bone or ask nicely at the butcher counter and I’m sure they will be happy to do it for you.
If you happen to plan this recipe ahead of time, I want to encourage you to season your chicken pieces a day in advance and leave them in the fridge uncovered overnight. This is also known as dry brining and it really does make a difference. One benefit to roasting pieces is you can get that seasoning (aka flavor!!) in all the nooks and crannies of your chicken. I like to salt my chicken generously with kosher salt and then add an even coating of our seasoning.
Mustardy chicken starts with ground mustard seeds and gets extra flavor from coriander, black peppercorns, garlic powder, and onion powder. If you are missing any of these, simply leave them out. If you don’t feel like grinding anything together, seasoning the chicken with kosher salt and black pepper will also yield a delicious result. I have tried it.
Since the chicken pieces will cook much faster than a whole chicken, I start by browning the skin in a pan on the stove. Simply add the chicken pieces skin side down to a hot pan and let them brown. Once they are golden, flip them skin side up, and pop them right into a 450º oven. The high heat will help the chicken keep browning and you are free to make your rice.
Leeky Rice
If you struggle with making rice, here is your foolproof recipe:
Rinse 1 cup of jasmine rice with cold water 3 times.
Add the rinsed rice to a small (2 quart) saucepan along with 1 + 1/4 cup of cold water and a big pinch of salt.
Bring to a boil over high heat.
Once boiling, immediately cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low.
Cook for 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat and rest for 5 minutes. Do not remove the lid at any point!
After 5 minutes, fluff with a fork and enjoy.
A note on the importance of rinsing your rice, you must rinse your rice! Rinsing removes some of the starch and ensures the end result is nice and fluffy with distinct grains. Unrinsed rice can lead to it being sticky and clumpy. There are some cases where you want the starches, like with sticky rice, but not here.
This leeky rice recipe came from an abundance of leeks. They get sautéed in butter until soft and then rice is cooked using the method above. The addition of leeks and chicken broth adds flavor to the rice and the end result is a fluffy pot of buttery chickeny rice with delicate leeks throughout. It’s heavenly!
Leeks grow in the ground and have lots of layers. Dirt collects in them and I like to double rinse them to get rid of it all. Rinse them first before slicing to remove any dirt on the outside and then do a second rinse after the leek is sliced in half, allowing water to run through the outer layers.
The dark green parts of leeks are sometimes discarded because they are tougher than the light parts. Slice them thin and sauté them for a good 8+ minutes to soften them and they are wonderful in this recipe. This way you’ll have no wasted leeks.
Mustard Sauce
Dijon is the second part of Mustardy Roast Chicken. If making a sauce isn’t something that interests you, simply serve dijon mustard on the side for dipping. If you have an extra few minutes, then warming the dijon in the pan with the drippings of your chicken pieces makes a delicious sauce.
After your chicken pieces come out of the pan and are resting on a plate, stick that pan over low heat on the stove. Use a dish towel to wrap around the handle because it did just come out of a HOT oven. Warm a tablespoon of butter with the drippings and sauté a minced shallot.
Once soft, add a splash of water, lemon juice, and dijon mustard. Scrape the brown bits from the bottom and give everything an aggressive stir to emulsify into a sauce. Finish with a generous amount of black pepper and immediately transfer the sauce to a bowl.
The sauce should be acidic and mustard forward with a deep chicken flavor. Serve the chicken pieces on top of the leeky rice with mustard sauce on the side. Top the whole dish with fresh dill and parsley for an herbaceous pop and a squeeze of lemon never hurt anyone.
Voila! Mustardy Roast Chicken Pieces and Leeky Rice are that simple but also very impressive. Enjoy these three recipes and then use the techniques to create your own dishes.
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Mustardy Roast Chicken Pieces & Leeky Rice
Chicken
2-3 lbs chicken pieces, bone-in and skin on
Kosher salt
1 teaspoon of mustard seeds
½ teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
Mustard Sauce
1 tablespoon butter
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons dijon mustard
Leeky Rice
2 cups thinly sliced leeks, light and dark parts
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed three times with cold water
1 + ¼ cup chicken broth
Pinch of salt
To serve
Fresh parsley
Fresh dill
Lemon slices
Heat an oven to 450º
Make seasoning: Grind mustard seeds, coriander, and black peppercorns in a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. Add garlic and onion powder.
Season the chicken: If using breasts and thighs take a large knife and cut breasts in half. Cut right down the center through the bone. Season chicken pieces generously with kosher salt. Get the backs, bottoms, and inside every nook. Then season the chicken pieces with the mustard seasoning mixture getting in all the nooks as well. This can be done a day in advance and the chicken can rest in the fridge uncovered overnight.
Cook the chicken: Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and arrange the pieces skin side down. Let them cook undisturbed for about 5-8 minutes. When the chicken releases from the pan easily and the skins are golden brown, flip them.
Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and roast for 15-25 minutes. The overall roasting time will depend on the size of each piece. Check the internal temp at 15 minutes removing any pieces that are at 165º and holding them on a plate. Continue roasting any pieces that need more time.
Make leeky rice: After the chicken goes in the oven, start your rice. Add butter and sliced leeks to a small (2 quart) saucepan. Heat over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until leeks are very soft. About 8 minutes.
Add rinsed and drained rice, 1 + ¼ cup of chicken broth, and a pinch of salt. Increase to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, immediately cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes and do not remove the lid!
After 15 minutes, remove from the heat and let the rice rest for 5 minutes, do not remove the lid still! After 5 minutes, fluff with a fork and the rice is done.
Make your sauce: When all the chicken pieces are done cooking, transfer them to a plate to rest. Place a dishtowel around the handle of your pan because it will be hot.
Place the pan over low heat and add a tablespoon of butter and a minced shallot. Cook for a minute until the shallots soften and scrape some brown bits from the pan.
Add water, lemon juice, and dijon mustard. Continue to scrape the brown bits from the pan and give the sauce an aggressive stir to emulsify. Season with a generous amount of black pepper and transfer to a bowl for dipping.
To serve: Serve chicken pieces over leeky rice. Top with a handful of fresh parsley and dill on top, dijon on the side for dipping, and a few lemon wedges for squeezing.
Thanks for reading and cooking with me! See you next week, M