Chicken and Orange Pilaf

Shallow cocotte Shallow Casserole type Evolution Le Creuset

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups long-grain basmati rice
• 500-600 g skinless, boneless chicken (preferably thigh, which is more flavorful; otherwise you can use boneless chicken breast)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 30 g butter
• 1 large onion
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 star anise
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• A pinch of dried chili flakes
• 3 garlic cloves
• ½ cup orange juice (two oranges)
• 3 tbsp orange marmalade
• 600 ml chicken broth
• Zest of one orange
• A few sprigs of parsley (for garnish)
• Chopped toasted almonds or pistachios (optional)

Shallow cocotte Shallow Casserole type Evolution Le Creuset

Preparation

1. Soak the basmati rice in a large bowl of cold water. Leave for 30 minutes and then rinse it well in a sieve under cold running water until the water runs clear and all the starch is removed.
2. While the rice is soaking, prepare the ingredients:
1. Cut the chicken into large, bite-sized cubes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Chop the onion very finely
3. Grate the carrot
4. Squeeze a couple of oranges until you have about half a glass, and zest one of the oranges. Reserve the juice and set the zest aside separately.
3. Preheat the oven to 160 °C, top and bottom heat.
4. Place the Shallow cocotte Shallow Casserole type Evolution Le Creuset over low-medium heat, and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add and sauté the pieces of chicken until browned. Remove from the casserole and set them aside.
5. In the same casserole, without removing the previous oil residues, add the butter and melt it over low heat. Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes, then add the carrot, cinnamon, star anise, and 3 sprigs of thyme, and cook until the onion starts to turn translucent. Cover the Shallow Casserole and let the carrot soften and become aromatic with the moisture and heat that remain trapped.
6. When the onions have softened, add the rest of the spices and the crushed garlic (use a garlic press to ensure you extract all its aromas) and cook it for a minute or two, stirring to distribute the flavors and cook the garlic.
7. Add half a cup of orange juice to deglaze* the casserole, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom. Add the orange marmalade and cook over medium heat until almost all the liquid has evaporated.
8. Add the reserved chicken, stir.
9. At this point, add the rinsed and drained rice and stir to mix everything well. Let cook for a minute and add the chicken broth (previously heated in the microwave or in a saucepan), and add the orange zest. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes after it starts to boil (uncovered).
10. After those minutes, put the lid on and place the Le Creuset low cocotte in the oven and let it cook for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
11. Fluff the pilaf with a fork and remove the cinnamon, star anise pods, and thyme sprigs, and sprinkle the chopped parsley to garnish the pilaf. Serve the pilaf hot.

Notes:

• If, upon taking it out of the oven, there is still liquid in the casserole, return it to the oven, covered on the upper rack (so it doesn't dry out), and leave it until the liquid evaporates.
• When serving, you can add some chopped nuts on top, such as cashews, almonds, or pistachios (optional).
• *Deglazing is the process of dissolving and collecting the juices and caramelized bits that form on the bottom of a skillet or Shallow Casserole when cooking food. Liquid is added to the hot pan to loosen and blend the caramelized flavors, creating a flavorful base for sauces or other dishes.