Spanish food writer & culinary guide James Blick: This is a real comfort dish. Mum used to use mace instead of nutmeg, but then it was banned in New Zealand. So if you can get mace … go for that! The chicken has such a pungent quality, and you cut the chicken up on your plate and mix it in with the rice to get the unctuous marinade all over the rice. Finally, I’m a bit of a green bean guy, and these salted green beans have a fabulous crunch that juxtaposes perfectly with the softer chicken and rice. Enjoy!
James Blick’s Chicken & Rice with Salted Beans
Servings: 2-6 (depending on how many chicken legs you eat)
Ingredients:
- Canola oil (or similar) approx 1/4 cup
- 1 tsp nutmeg or mace
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 5 garlic cloves (3 crushed, 2 sliced)
- salt
- pepper
- 4-6 chicken legs
- rice (as much as desired)
- 1 pound of green beans
Instructions:
- Place 4-6 drumsticks in an oven dish.
- Mix the following together in a bowl: the Canola oil, the nutmeg or mace, the chili powder, 3 crushed garlic cloves, pepper and salt. Pour the mix over the chicken legs, making sure they are well coated.
- Bake at 350 degrees (F) for approx 45 minutes or until cooked.
- Cook rice.
- Cut the beans into 5 cm (2 inch) lengths.
- Slice the 2 cloves of garlic. (If garlic is sliced, it doesn’t burn as quickly.)
- Heat some Canola oil in pan, add garlic and beans. Cook briefly, tossing together for about one minute until heated through and still crunchy. Add about 3/4 tsp of salt and toss again.
- Serve immediately. Enjoy!
