CHICKEN THIGHS SHAWARMA-ISH AND COCONUT RICE CASSEROLE

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Chicken|Casseroles|Gluten-free|Superbly Herby

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Tracy Coyne - C770B8B1-5A15-428B-B113-AFF4C2BF7A37_1_201_a

Ingredients

The Raita:

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

½ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ cup English cucumber, seed and chopped

1 large scallion, chopped

The Marinade:

⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt

2 teaspoons Dish off the Block Superbly Herby Spice Blend

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 ½ – 3 pounds chicken thighs, bone-in and skin on

The Skillet:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

6 garlic cloves, chopped

2 teaspoons fennel seeds

2 cups raw jasmine rice

1 ½ cups chicken stock

1, 15 ounce can coconut milk

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 cup frozen peas

¼ cup cilantro leaves

Instructions

Combine all of the raita ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve the chicken.

To make the marinade, combine the yogurt with all of the spices and lemon juice in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth.

Cut off any excess fat off the chicken thighs and pat them dry with paper towels. Place them in the bowl with the yogurt marinade and toss until all of the thighs are very well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking to come to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a large, deep, cast iron or oven proof skillet over medium high heat. Place the marinated chicken thighs, skin-side-down, in the hot oil. Cook for 4-5 minutes, without moving them, until the skin is golden brown and crispy. If the pan is very wide, you may need to move the skillet over the heat/flame occasionally, so they all cook and brown evenly. Flip them over and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove them from the skillet and set aside. They will not be completely cooked through.

Add the onions to the pan drippings and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes until they are soft and fragrant. Add the garlic, fennel seeds, and rice to the pan. Continue cooking, stirring, for another 2 minutes until the rice is toasty.

Add the chicken stock, coconut milk, salt, and pepper to the pan and bring to a boil, scraping up all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a spatula. Place the chicken thighs back into the pan, skin-side-up. Cover the pan and bake for 30 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked through.

Remove the pan from the oven and stir the peas into the rice around the chicken. Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until the peas are warm and bright green and the chicken is cooked through (160-165 degrees).

Serve the chicken and rice garnished with cilantro and lime wedges. Serve the raita on the side. I also like to serve roasted carrots seasoned with Superbly Herby with this dish.