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A pilaf is one of the most popular dishes in Romania, said Irina Georgescu – a fantastic combination of any ingredients we happen to have to hand, cooked with rice. You can make a pilaf with chicken, vegetables or even fruit. The rice is cooked in plenty of stock, and stewed gently in a covered pot until it reaches a creamy yet runny consistency.
Ingredients:
35ml (generous 2 tbsp) sunflower oil
4 medium bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1 large brown onion, finely sliced
300g potatoes, cut into thick chunks
1 tbsp white-wine vinegar
250g long-grain white rice
1 litre vegetable or chicken stock
1⁄4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 medium courgette
2 large garlic cloves
1 tsp chopped marjoram
Fresh or dried salt
Good olive oil
Lemon wedges
Tomato salad
Method:
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Use a 23-24cm, 12cm-deep casserole dish with a lid (otherwise, cooking times may differ). Cover its base with the oil and heat well.
Sprinkle the chicken with salt generously, and fry the thighs in one layer for about 15 mins, turning often. Keep the heat on medium so they don't burn, then transfer the cooked chicken to a plate.
Fry the onion with a good pinch of salt in the remaining oil over a medium heat for 8 mins. Add the potatoes, combine well and fry for another 3 mins, then add the vinegar and scrape the base of the pan with a spatula to remove all those caramelised bits.
Place the chicken thighs on top of the potatoes in one layer, then scatter the rice on top and add the stock. Taste the stock to make sure it's salty enough; if not, add more. The secret to a good pilaf is using a generous amount of salt. Add the pepper, then cover and cook in the oven for 25 mins. It will make a rather loose pilaf. Alternatively, cook until the stock is absorbed.
Meanwhile, grate the courgette and garlic together and mix with the marjoram. When the rice is cooked, spread this mixture on top, replace the lid and leave to sit for 5 mins out of the oven.
Serve immediately with a drizzle of your best olive oil, wedges of lemon to squeeze on top and a tomato salad.
Taken from "Danube" by Irina Georgescu, published by Hardie Grant at £28. To buy from The Week Bookshop for £24.99 (incl. p&p), visit theweekbookshop.co.uk.
