Wild Rice with Chicken, Broccoli, Bok Choy, and Garlic-Chile

Ingredients

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound (450 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) pieces

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 cup (175 g) uncooked wild rice

2½ cups (600 ml) chicken broth

¼ cup (60 ml) soy sauce or tamari

2 tablespoons Garlic-Chile Crunch (page 306)

12 ounces (335 g) broccoli, stems trimmed and peeled, cut into long florets

1 small head bok choy, sliced lengthwise through the core to make long thin wedges

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

Heat a glug of oil in a large ovenproof skillet with a lid or other wide heavy pot, such as a Dutch oven, over medium- high heat. Add the chicken pieces, season generously with salt and pepper, and brown all sides, about 4 minutes total (the chicken will get fully cooked later).

Transfer the chicken to a bowl and set aside. If the pan seems dry, add another few drops of olive oil and add the ginger and garlic. Cook, scraping up any browned bits from the chicken, just until soft and fragrant but not at all browned, about 1 minute.

Add the wild rice, chicken broth, and soy sauce. Adjust the heat to a lively simmer, cover, and cook for about 45 minutes. The rice won't be fully cooked yet, but it should be slightly tender when you bite a few kernels and you should see them starting to open; if the rice is still very hard, keep cooking until it becomes tender. Spoon on 2 teaspoons of the garlic-chile crunch and arrange the broccoli florets and bok choy wedges on the rice.

Cover and continue cooking until the rice is fully tender and most of the kernels are blown open and the vegetables are very tender. Check the liquid during this stage; if it looks dry, add another ¼ cup (60 ml) broth or water.

Return the chicken pieces to the pan, arranging them over the vegetables, cover the pan, and cook until the chicken is fully cooked but not so much that it dries out, another 5 minutes or so. The vegetables should be quite soft at this point.

Finish with the lemon zest, lemon juice, and remaining garlic-chile crunch over everything and serve right away, jumbling the rice, vegetables, and chicken together as you serve.

Notes

This highly satisfying dish has the bonus of being a one-pot meal (provided you have a large ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven), making it an excellent choice for midweek meals. The Garlic-Chile Crunch is truly delicious and brings an important flavor contrast, but if you don't have any, be sure to season the dish with your favorite hot sauce and use a bit more garlic.

ーServes 4

Note: Because wild rice sometimes takes longer to cook than you expect, I prefer to use chicken thighs rather than breasts, as they are moister and more forgiving. (However, if you are a fan of white meat, you could sub in an equal weight of chicken breast.)