The West African Rice Dish that everyone should know how to make.

By Ethan Chlebowski · 60 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Mix all the spices in a sealed container until combined; you need about 15 g of spice mix in total.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 176°C.
3. Blend the canned tomatoes, 1/4 white onion, red bell peppers, habanero and a sprinkle of salt until completely smooth; set aside.
4. Heat the cooking oil in a pan over medium heat, add the thinly sliced red onion and sauté about 5 minutes until softened but still with a bite. Remove half the onion and set it aside for garnish.
5. To the onion still in the pan, add the bay leaves, jollof spice mix, curry powder and cayenne, and bloom for 30 seconds. Pour in the blended sauce, bring to a simmer, then reduce to medium-low and cook 15 minutes until slightly thickened.
6. Meanwhile, rinse the basmati rice 3 to 4 times in a strainer to remove the starch.
7. In an oven-safe pot with a lid, heat a little cooking oil over medium heat. Toast the rice 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the reduced sauce and stir.
8. Add the chicken broth, bring to a simmer, cover with an oven-safe lid or foil, and transfer to the oven for 30 minutes, until the rice is tender and has absorbed nearly all the liquid.
9. While the rice bakes, salt both sides of the chicken thighs. Place them skin side down in a cold cast-iron pan over medium heat to render the fat; once rendered, flip them and reduce the heat to low.
10. Add the butter, thyme sprig, 2 garlic cloves and a sprinkle of jollof spice mix to the pan, and baste the chicken with the fat and spices.
11. Put the chicken pan in the oven alongside the rice and bake until the internal temperature reaches 170°F / 76°C. Check both dishes at 30 minutes and leave either in longer if needed.
12. Remove the rice and let it rest covered for 10 minutes. Take the chicken out when done and let it rest off the heat.
13. Fluff the rice and stir in the reserved red onions. Serve with the chicken and garnish with cilantro.

Summarized from Ethan Chlebowski's video. Watch it for the details.

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