Grandmaw Peacock's Chicken and Rice

I don't have a Grandmaw Peacock but Scott Peacock does, and she sure knew how to spin straw into gold, culinarily speaking. If you bless Lee Bailey for his pork chops and rice, as I do, you will surely place Grandmaw Peacock in the same pantheon of home cooking heroes and heroines. Now, listen up. This dish is best cooked on a rainy or snowy cold night, particularly if anyone in the house feels a cold coming on.

You need four basic food items for this recipe: a cut-up chicken, an onion, a stalk of celery, and 1 and 1/3 cup white rice. You'll also need butter, water, and salt - but if you don't have those items on hand at all times, I can't help you.

As Scott Peacock recounts, melt two tablespoons of butter in a large cast-iron Dutch oven. I have a big round one with "30" stamped on the lid from the Le Creuset factory story. Cut up your chicken into 10 pieces and sprinkle liberally with kosher salt. Use a lot of salt; I am not kidding. Toss your chicken pieces in the butter and brown lightly for about five minutes. Use the back, and the neck if you have it, because you will be making stock in which to cook the rice right in that pan. After you have lightly browned the chicken, pop in the onion and celery stalk, cover tightly, and cook over a low heat for about 20 minutes. Add five cups of water and keep at a low-medium simmer for about 35 minutes, with the pot partially covered.

After about 35 minutes, remove the onion and celery and then stir in the rice. Taste the broth - it should be salty. If not, add some salt. Cover the pot tightly and cook for another 30 minutes or so. The rice should be good and soupy, and the chicken should be fork tender. Sprinkle some chopped parsley over the chicken and rice for color. Add a green salad, or some roasted sprouts, for a fine full meal.

Thank you, Grandmaw Peacock.