Chilean Chicken Casserole with Chilean Style Rice...

This is the finished product, it really is very tasty and I hope you try it.

6 chicken drumsticks
1 onion chopped finely
2 carrots peeled and sliced
2 cups of frozen or fresh peas
1/2 teaspoon of cummin powder
1/2 tub tomato paste
3/4 white wine
salt

Method

Brown and seal the chicken pieces in a little oil. Add the onion and fry a further 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the carrot and cummin. Next add your wine and cook out the alcohol for a couple more minutes. Add the peas and a cup of water. Cook for 20 minutes then finally add the salt and tomato paste.

This is served with rice as follows:

Vegeta is a powdered stock that my mother has used for almost 40 years. I use it to add to anything savoury I am wanted to add flavour to. Try it, it is really handy to have in your pantry.

This is the final stage of the casserole prior to stirring in the tomatoe paste and the last five mintues of cooking. This dish's flavours develop overnight so if you have some left or want to make extra it is even better the next day.

These are the ingredients for your rice except for the water.

Half a green capsicum, roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic crushed
2 teacups of rice (long grain)
Salt
3 1/2 teacups of boiling water

Method

Fry the capsicum pieces in a little oil, when the aroma is released (only 1 minute or so) add the crushed garlic and almost instantly (the garlic will burn quite quickly) add you rice. Fry this until you see the rice starting to look transparent (1 minute), next add around a wooden spoon full of salt, this seems a lot but rice really needs it. Add the boiling water, taking care as it will bubble quite violently with the hot rice. Put a lid on and turn your stove top to it's lowest setting (gas or electric). In 10 to 15 minutes all the water will be absorbed and the rice will be quite fluffy when you rake it with a fork to check. I usually just grab and few grains and taste it for softness. The rice is not mushy, it holds it shape perfectly and should be soft. If it is slightly firm in the centre, just turn off the stove and leave the lid on for a minute or two to continue absorbing any liquid or steam. You should not have any water swimming around the bottom of the pot, it should all be absorbed by the end of the cooking. If you over cook it, the rice will start to brown at the bottom and burn.

This is how Luis mother cooked this dish and the rice for more than 30 years. I cook it for my family and it is quite popular. It is an easy, quick and tasty dish to cook and eat, so I say again, I hope you try it.

Vida