Greek chicken & rice is my all time favorite comfort food. It is so flavorful and makes me feel warm & cozy inside. I'm spending Thanksgiving with my husband's family, so I had a mini Thanksgiving with my parents on Sunday. When I told them I was going to make this, they could not have been happier.
My Yiayia Sugar (mom's mom) used to make this for me and my cousins growing up. Her name isn't really Sugar, it's Zacharoula. Zachari in Greek means Sugar, hence her nickname.
The ingredients are very simple, but Yiayia Sugar unfortunately never measured anything (you will see this trend in future blog postings). I tried my best to translate "half a cereal bowl of oil" into cups. Enough background. Here's the recipe:
Ingredients:
1 cut up chicken with bones & skin
2/3 C olive oil
1/4 C lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1 T oregano
salt & pepper
1 C long grain white rice
1 T butter
Directions - chicken:
Salt & pepper chicken generously.
Combine olive oil, lemon juice, and oregano.
Beat with a fork until color lightens.
Place the chicken in a bowl and cover with the marinade.
Mix chicken with the marinade so that all pieces are covered.
Cover with saran wrap and place in refrigerator for at least 2 - 3 hours or overnight.
Arrange chicken and juices in a large metal pan.
Cover with aluminum foil.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Turn heat up to 425 and bake for another hour.
Rotate chicken every 20 minutes while baking.
Broil chicken on each side for 3 - 5 minutes or until it turns a golden color.
Remove pan from oven and place chicken pieces on a serving dish.
Add a few tablespoons of juice to the top of the chicken.
Cover serving dish and chicken with aluminum foil.
Save pan with juices.
Directions - rice:
Skim fat from the top of the chicken juices and add to a saucepan.
Add 1 T butter.
Boil fat from juice with the butter.
When boiling, add rice and mix.
You should here a "tss" sound when the rice hits the oil.
Stir rice for about 5 minutes.
Strain remaining juices and measure.
If you have 2 C of juice, you are done.
If not, rinse pan with water, strain, and add to juice to make 2 C.
Add 2 C of juice to rice and boil.
Add salt & pepper.
Reduce heat to a low simmer, cover rice and cook for 15 - 20 minutes or until done.
Remove any excess fat from top of rice when done cooking.
Tips & Extras:
Pan - I cover the pan with aluminum foil for easy clean-up.
Rice - If you don't have enough juice from the chicken, you can use chicken broth.
Serving suggestions - I serve this meal with greek salad, bread, & feta cheese.
Oregano - When adding the oregano to the marinade, crush it between your hands. It releases the oils and adds more flavor.
My Yiayia Sugar (mom's mom) used to make this for me and my cousins growing up. Her name isn't really Sugar, it's Zacharoula. Zachari in Greek means Sugar, hence her nickname.
The ingredients are very simple, but Yiayia Sugar unfortunately never measured anything (you will see this trend in future blog postings). I tried my best to translate "half a cereal bowl of oil" into cups. Enough background. Here's the recipe:
Ingredients:
1 cut up chicken with bones & skin
2/3 C olive oil
1/4 C lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1 T oregano
salt & pepper
1 C long grain white rice
1 T butter
Directions - chicken:
Salt & pepper chicken generously.
Combine olive oil, lemon juice, and oregano.
Beat with a fork until color lightens.
Place the chicken in a bowl and cover with the marinade.
Mix chicken with the marinade so that all pieces are covered.
Cover with saran wrap and place in refrigerator for at least 2 - 3 hours or overnight.
Arrange chicken and juices in a large metal pan.
Cover with aluminum foil.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Turn heat up to 425 and bake for another hour.
Rotate chicken every 20 minutes while baking.
Broil chicken on each side for 3 - 5 minutes or until it turns a golden color.
Remove pan from oven and place chicken pieces on a serving dish.
Add a few tablespoons of juice to the top of the chicken.
Cover serving dish and chicken with aluminum foil.
Save pan with juices.
Directions - rice:
Skim fat from the top of the chicken juices and add to a saucepan.
Add 1 T butter.
Boil fat from juice with the butter.
When boiling, add rice and mix.
You should here a "tss" sound when the rice hits the oil.
Stir rice for about 5 minutes.
Strain remaining juices and measure.
If you have 2 C of juice, you are done.
If not, rinse pan with water, strain, and add to juice to make 2 C.
Add 2 C of juice to rice and boil.
Add salt & pepper.
Reduce heat to a low simmer, cover rice and cook for 15 - 20 minutes or until done.
Remove any excess fat from top of rice when done cooking.
Tips & Extras:
Pan - I cover the pan with aluminum foil for easy clean-up.
Rice - If you don't have enough juice from the chicken, you can use chicken broth.
Serving suggestions - I serve this meal with greek salad, bread, & feta cheese.
Oregano - When adding the oregano to the marinade, crush it between your hands. It releases the oils and adds more flavor.
