Island Cooking: An easy one-pan dinner, and a few easy flavor boosters

Chicken and rice is a fairly standard one-pan supper. Who doesn’t enjoy this common combination?

Well, I have a few tweaks to make this dish just a bit exotic!

Those who know me understand my use of spices and herbs to bring flavor to otherwise ordinary foods. Lebanese cooks do it exceptionally well, so I often use their techniques and ingredients.

Despite all the weeks of inclement weather, at least some of my herb plants have survived and are recovering well. My pantry has a wide assortment of international spices that I regularly use. I have learned over time that I need to store certain ingredients, so I can try just about any recipe at any time.

There are many sources online, and when I cannot find something in our markets – and I often can get it at Conner’s – I simply place an order and wait for John to bring it in a few days. As a bonus, it makes my dog Rascal very happy to hear the UPS truck roll up the road.

In her wonderful cookbook, “Rose Water and Orange Blossoms,” Maureen Abood introduces to us her mother’s Lebanese Vermicelli Rice that I usually serve as a side dish. But, add some spice (flavorful, not hot) and another technique, et voila!

Christopher Kimball’s “Milk Street Magazine” featured what they term “Lebanese-Style Chicken and Rice with Vermicelli” in the November-December issue. My first thought on seeing it was, “Why didn’t I ever think of this?”

So, of course I had to make it that evening in a cast iron skillet known as the Everyday Pan from the Milk Street Store which, by the way, I do use nearly every day so it lives on the stove top.

CHICKEN AND LEBANESE VERMICELLI RICE

1 cup long-grain rice. I use Himalayan Basmati rice.
1 tablespoon salted butter
1/3 cup vermicelli noodles. I use short Fideos from Amazon but you can break longer pieces into 2 inch pieces.
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups chicken stock. I get Anne’s Old Fashioned Base at Conner’s.
1 cinnamon stick
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds skinless chicken thighs
1 large red onion
1 bunch of scallions, sliced
Pine nuts browned quickly in a dry skillet

Melt the butter with the dry Fideos in a 2 qt./2 l. saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the butter is nutty brown and the vermicelli turns golden. Transfer to another bowl.

Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Slice the onions into thick half-rounds. Season with salt and pepper and Schwarma seasoning. You can get it online, maybe locally, or just mix it yourself. See recipe below.

In skillet used to color the Fideos, bring the olive oil to a shimmer. Add the seasoned chicken in an even layer and cook, undisturbed, until browned on the bottom, about 4 to 6 minutes.

Add the onions and cook, stirring, until the chicken is browned all over, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Stir in the vermicelli and rice, and add the 2 cups of broth. Bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce to low. Cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 13 to 15 minutes. Let stand, off the heat, and covered for 10 minutes.

Fluff with a fork. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Serve with scallions and pine nuts. If you like, you can garnish with plain whole-milk yogurt or lemon wedges. And if you prefer, this luscious mixture can be stuffed into a warm pita!

SCHWARMA MIX

Place all the spices into a bowl and mix! That’s it!

Ground Cumin
Turmeric Powder
Ground Coriander
Garlic Powder
Paprika (Sweet Spanish)
Ground Cloves
Cayenne Pepper

Start with equal amounts of each spice except for the turmeric and cayenne. Use half, blend, taste and adjust to your taste.

VIVIAN HOWARD’S BLUEBERRY BBQ SAUCE

Dolphin in Blueberry BBQ sauce. Photo from Lynne Foster

(A variation, with apologies to Vivian)

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries.
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 bay leaf
1 x 3-inch cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes.

I confess to being lax with measuring! I use more blueberries than called for, and a few more red pepper flakes.

Place ingredients in a saucepan.

Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, 10-15 minutes.

Remove from heat; remove cinnamon stick and bay leaf.

Using an immersion blender right in the pot, blend to a smooth consistency, and strain through a fine-mesh strainer onto a bowl.

Place back in the pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat, uncovered, for about 5 minutes. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon, and the viscosity should be more like maple syrup than honey.

Pour into container and cool to room temp. Makes about 2 cups. Sauce will keep in fridge in a lidded container for up to 6 months.

Be creative with its use! Chicken and pork are obvious but what about seafood and veggies?

USEFUL SHRIMP STOCK

(Another amazing food to have handy in the freezer!)

We are fortunate to have access to the tastiest, healthiest, and cheapest shrimp in the world!

With all the alarming news of radiation and other issues with imported shrimp, we have to be grateful for our NC shrimpers and their commitment to providing the best, freshest shrimp to market, and to our local fish houses and markets for taking such good care of the product and refusing to offer the alternative.

And we must support their battle against those who want to stop shrimping in this state.

Now, take it a step further. No, not in regards to protesting, although you will not hear me argue against it.

When cleaning your shrimp, save the shells – there’s a whole lotta flavor in them! If you are not going to use them immediately, freeze them for future use.

The stock freezes well and will provide a flavorful basis for many seafood dishes from stews, soups, pastas, and anything that requires a good liquid base.

Again – EASY!

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over high heat until shimmering.
Add the shells from 1 pound shrimp and cook, stirring frequently, until shells begin to turn spotty brown, 2 to 4 minutes.
Add 4 cups water, 8 black peppercorns, 1 bay leaf, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Do not be tempted to extend the cooking time or you risk bitterness.
Strain stock through fine-mesh strainer set over large bowl, pressing on solids with rubber spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids.

If you search recipes, you will find some with more flavorings, but I advise against using more. Keep the shrimp stock shrimpy.

You can always add additional flavors for the main recipe, for which it will be your base.