Warmth a big sauté pan, ideally one with a lid, over medium-high warmth for one minute. As soon as the pan may be very sizzling, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter, and warmth them collectively for one more full minute. Organize rooster pores and skin facet down and prepare dinner till deeply brown beneath, about 4 to five minutes. [Don’t crowd the chicken; depending on the size of your pan, you might need to do this in two batches.] Whereas it browns, season what’s now the highest facet with extra salt and pepper. As soon as browned, flip the items over and brown on the second facet, about one other 3 to 4 minutes. Don’t skimp on the colour, please. Switch the rooster to a plate.
Put together the buttered onions: Depart the pan on medium-high and add 2 tablespoons butter to fats and juices in it. As soon as melted, add the onions and season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Prepare dinner the onions for about quarter-hour complete, or till golden all through and darker brown on the edges, stirring each couple minutes. At first, the onions are watery; as soon as the water has cooked off and the onions start to choose up colour, I scale back the warmth to medium for the remaining time. Rigorously style and season with extra salt, if desired, and many freshly floor black pepper. Take away 1/3 cup of onions and put aside till the top.
End the rooster and rice: Add thyme and dried rice and prepare dinner with the onions for 1 minute. Add the wine, if utilizing, and prepare dinner till it disappears, about 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape down the pan sides, pushing any dried rice and onions again to the underside. Return the rooster thighs to the pan pores and skin facet up, spacing them out. Rigorously pour broth round rooster, the decrease quantity for those who used wine, the total quantity for those who didn’t. Deliver the pan to a simmer then scale back to the bottom simmer and canopy. Prepare dinner rice and rooster collectively for 25 minutes, or till rice is tender.
To serve: Off warmth, relaxation the dish for five to 10 minutes earlier than serving. Scatter with reserved buttered onions and scoop it onto plates.
Do forward: This retains so properly. I reheat it lined in an oven-safe dish at 350 levels for 15 to half-hour, till the rooster is heat. To freeze, properly, I’m simply going to say it: I’ll pack it ingloriously in a freezer bag and press out the additional air. Defrost within the fridge for a day, if in case you have time, then rewarm as written above.
Notes/anticipated questions:
- Can I exploit totally different bone-in, skin-on rooster elements? Sure. Bigger rooster breasts can take longer to prepare dinner. Search for ones on the smaller facet (8 ounces). In the event that they’re bigger, I’ll typically cut up them in half in order that they prepare dinner by by the point the rice is finished.
- Can I exploit boneless, skinless rooster cutlets? Sure. I’d use thighs since they’re much less more likely to dry out, and though it gained’t be as fairly, I’d most likely skip browning them in order that they don’t overcook by the point the rice is finished.
- What can I exploit as an alternative of wine? I’d use 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon sugar.
- Can I make rooster rice with buttered onions with out butter? Sure, olive oil or one other fats will work effective, however after all a key a part of the flavour shall be totally different.
- How do I make this much more buttery? When the rooster and rice are finished however haven’t rested but, dot the dish with 1 to 2 extra tablespoons butter, minimize into small bits, then substitute the lid and let it relaxation for the 5 to 10 minutes urged.
- A greater than bouillon focus hack: The perfect rooster broth is selfmade. My second favourite comes from Higher Than Bouillon. The jar directions are so as to add 1 teaspoon per 1 cup of sizzling water earlier than utilizing it however I’m lazy and add the focus on to aromatics within the pan — right here, together with the thyme and dried rice — and prepare dinner it in for a minute to distribute the blob of focus. Then I add measured water when the recipe requires broth.
- Be aware: The thyme contained in the dish is for taste; the thyme on prime is for aesthetics on a really brown dish.
