Miss Raven's Kitchen

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For tonight’s dinner, I was about to just boil some rice and bake the chicken thighs. After a long day of work from not taking a break until 30 minutes before I left, and taking manager’s tests 5 to 7 times over because they want a 90% passing score, I just about had it for the day. I looked at the raw chicken and uncooked rice and said, “No. I need to do something with this. I need to cook like I want to, not cook because I need to. Not with frustration.” Starting to collect ideas on a piece of paper, I came up with something I’ve never attempted before (correction: correctly attempted.) Saffron Rice. There’s many ways of doing it, but I came up with this one because I felt it was a different method. The chicken thighs were not about to be plain to go with the rice, so I decided to decorate it with some lovely garlic and a lemon-wine sauce. Both components complimented each other better than I expected!

The wine I used is Albino Armani Delle Venezie Pinot Grigio. Fruity, yet creamy and dry. This can also be enjoyed with the meal in a glass! Check out the information for this wine here! For the rice, I had used long grain brown rice, which I had to rinse, then boil for 40-45 minutes. Normally, Saffron rice is made with a white grain rice such as jasmine or basmati. Trust me, you want to use basmati or jasmine. It’s an absolute need on this dish. Seeing as I didn’t have either, I chose this. Plus, brown rice is healthier in a sense! The aromatics of the saffron and toasted rice makes it a beautiful accompaniment to the garlic chicken. You can even roast a chicken, break it down and serve it!

In the measuring cup for the first picture, there is wine. I know it’s difficult to see, but it’s there.

• What’s the difference between jasmine rice and basmati rice? Does it matter? Let me start off by saying this: USE BASMATI RICE OR JASMINE RICE! ANYTHING ELSE WILL SACRIFICE THE FLAVOR AND TEXTURE. IT WILL NOT BE THE SAME. Well, to be quite honest, there is virtually no difference, however it is preferred to use either one of the rice varieties when making saffron rice. Jasmine rice hails from Thailand, while Basmati comes from India. Both grains of rice are especially aromatic. Basmati has a nuttier quality, whereas jasmine is faintly more floral. They are both of the long grain variety, however jasmine rice is more plump, soft and a bit more moist than basmati, which has a firmer chew and drier character. Basmati grains are extra long and thin, so they benefit more from soaking. Jasmine rice is a shorter, wider grain that just needs a few quick rinses to remove excess starch.
• Invest in good quality saffron. Saffron is a pricey spice to have in your kitchen. You only use a small amount at a time, but you also get a very small amount in most bottles. If a bottle of saffron threads costs less than $10, it’s probably not worth buying. Never buy a whole bag of it if you see it, it most likely is horrible quality and won’t give you the flavor you want.
• Skin off or skin on for chicken? This recipe definitely came out amazing with skinless, boneless thighs, which allowed the smooth side of the chicken thigh to be pressed down, giving it the golden brown color you want to see. Brown food tastes good! (A quote from my idol, Anne Burrell) You can use skin on chicken thighs. The skin ensures the thighs stay nice and juicy, with plenty of potential to crisp up in the pan. I wish I had used skin on thighs! Without the bones, chicken thighs cook faster, without sacrificing the juicy goodness of it.
• Any veggie side will compliment this dish! From roasted broccoli to curried cauliflower, with a chance of that recipe of green beans with almonds, anything goes with this rice and chicken dish. I would have loved to make my famous creamed spinach with this, or even a cranberry goat cheese salad with a raspberry vinaigrette, or even a stuffed mushroom with arugula and goat cheese! (God I love goat cheese…it’s a problem) You can even roast some carrots and it still will be a great side choice.

Oh, and did I mention to use jasmine rice or basmati rice? It sacrifices flavor and texture, but if you don’t have a choice, then I forgive you. Not saying it will turn out bad, just would be better if you use the proper rice.

Want the recipe? Click print below! Let me know how it came out for you by tagging me on Instagram (@missravenskitchen) and using #missravenskitchen! Let me know if I need to tweak anything.

Yield

3

Author

Dani Marcus

Prep time

10 Min

Cook time

55 Min

Total time

1 H & 4 M

Print

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One-Pot Garlic Chicken Thighs and Saffron Rice

Beautiful savory saffron rice pilaf creates a bed for these juicy chicken thighs topped with a lemon, garlicy wine sauce.

Ingredients

For the Chicken Thighs

• 6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• Salt & ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2/3 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• Fresh chopped parsley, to garnish

For the Rice

• 1/2 tsp saffron (good quality) (*4)
• 1/3 cup hot water
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups white basmati or jasmine rice
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cups water or broth (*1)
• Salt, to taste
• Fresh chopped parsley, to garnish

Instructions

For the Chicken Thighs

1. Heat a large skillet on medium heat with 2 tbsp olive oil. Season chicken thighs on both sides with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. When oil is hot, add the chicken thighs, smooth side down. Press thighs down with a spatula and cook for 5 minutes, or until the smooth side is a deep golden color.
2. Start the saffron step in the rice section.
3. Flip and cook the other side for 2 minutes, then add garlic and 1 tbsp butter until the garlic is a light gold color and aromatic, about 1 minute.
4.  Add the wine, then turn up the heat to medium-high, so that the alcohol cooks out and the wine slightly reduces. Simmer rapidly for 1-1/2 minutes. Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165F.
5. Remove chicken and sauce from heat together. Set aside.

For the Rice

1. Take half of the 1/2 tsp saffron threads and put them in a mortar and pestle. Grind the spice with a pestle to a powdery consistency.
2. Add the other half of saffron threads to the mortar. Do not crush these threads. Pour 1/3 cup of hot water into the mortar. Let the saffron soak for 5 minutes. This will open up the flavor of the spice.
3. Rinse your rice. Do this at least twice. Wrap rice in a cheesecloth and ring water out. (*2)
4. In the same skillet you used for the chicken, melt 2 tbsp butter on medium heat, then add the onions. Saute for 10 minutes so the onions are soft and start to become caramelized, stirring frequently, then add the 3 minced garlic cloves and stir to combine. Saute for another minute. Add the rice and toast for 2 1/2 minutes, or until some pieces of rice are toasted and aromatic.
5. Add the saffron water evenly across the rice, then add the water or broth to the skillet along with salt to taste. Bring to a boil for 30 seconds and stir. Add bay leaves. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low heat.
6. Cook according to package directions, if applicable, otherwise allow the rice to cook for 20 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced. (*3)
7. Once the liquid is gone, turn off the heat and keep covered to steam for 10 minutes more, so the rice can be fluffed later.
8. Fluff the rice before putting chicken thighs back in the skillet, then place the chicken back on the rice. Garnish with some parsley.

Notes:

(*1) You can use chicken broth or veggie broth. If you choose to use veggie broth, find one that is a golden color

(*2) I didn’t have a cheesecloth, so if you don’t either, you can use paper towels. I don’t recommend using a colander unless the holes in the colander are small enough so the rice does not fall through.

(*3) I used long-grain brown rice, which took me 40 minutes to cook. I added basmati or jasmine rice as an ingredient in this because white rice makes the yellow color brighter, and it takes less time to cook than brown rice. It also doesn’t sacrifice flavor or texture. It actually compliments the saffron. USE BASMATI OR JASMINE RICE. Brown saffron rice has a darker yellow color.

(*4) Any saffron that is less than $10 is probably not good. You want good quality saffron. You use a little, but you also get a small amount in the bottle. A little goes a long way!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

772.59

Fat (grams)

38.36

Sat. Fat (grams)

14.05

Carbs (grams)

41.36

Fiber (grams)

1.91

Net carbs

39.45

Sugar (grams)

2.66

Protein (grams)

59.03

Sodium (milligrams)

508.18

Cholesterol (grams)

303.81

This is calculated for using water with the rice.

https://missravenskitchen.wordpress.com/2021/08/20/one-pot-garlic-chicken-thighs-and-saffron-rice/

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