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Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 45 Minutes |
Ready In: 75 Minutes Servings: 12 |
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This is from Margaret Wells and tweaked for freezing. Her original recipe used rice instead of orzo. Created as one of the dishes for our ECW (Episcopal Church Women) to raise funds. Which is why you see instructions for large and small containers. Cut it in half if you do not want a large amount. Ingredients:
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced |
1/2 cup wild rice |
12 chicken thighs |
2 tablespoons olive oil |
2 tablespoons butter |
1/2 large red onion, small dice |
1 celery rib, small dice |
1 carrot, small dice |
1 cup orzo pasta (or rice) |
3/4 cup dry white wine |
2 1/2 cups chicken broth |
1 tablespoon thyme leaves, minced |
2 tablespoons cream |
2 tablespoons dry sherry |
salt |
black pepper |
1 cup pecans, roughly chopped (or walnuts, this is totally optional but a nice touch) |
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350.
2. Put wild rice in small saucepan and cover by 3 inches with water. Bring to a boil. Cover pan with lid slightly ajar, and simmer until almost completely cooked. 18-20 minutes will do and the rice will be chewy and swollen, some may burst open. Drain and set aside.
3. Rinse thighs and dry. Season with salt and black pepper.
4. Heat olive oil in a large fry pan over medium-high heat. Brown chicken in batches until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Chicken will not be fully cooked. Set it aside.
5. Remove pan from heat and allow it to cool a bit. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the chicken fat.
6. Return fry pan to medium-high heat and add butter. When it foams, add red onion and generous pinch of salt. Stir to coat onion with butter and cook until soft. Add celery and carrot, stirring occasionally for about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Add orzo and stir to coat well with the oil, about 4 minutes.
8. Add 1/4 cup of the wine and stir for about 1 minute.
9. Add mushrooms and 1/2 cup of wine and stir another minute or so.
10. Add wild rice and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring often about 5 minutes. The mixture will be very soupy.
11. Stir in the cream and sherry. Remove from heat.
12. Pour into 9x13 baking dish or divide among baking dishes leaving room for the chicken. Nestle the chicken into the pans.
13. Bake until orzo and chicken are cooked, about 45-50 minutes.
14. Remove from oven.
15. If packaging, remove chicken to make packaging easier.
16. Small place orzo mixture in container and top with 1 thigh.
17. Large place orzo mixture in container and top with 4 thighs.
18. Refrigerate or freeze depending on how close it is to delivery date.
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