So what is this secret cooking method that Southern cooks have been using for hundreds of years to make mouth-wateringly delicious dishes like this? It’s simple, really. You just layer your dish so that the meat is cooked on top of your veggies or rice! “Pshaw!” you say, “What difference could that possibly make?”

Here’s how it works:  As your meat cooks, its succulent juices drip down into the veggies or rice, imparting the sweet, savory or smoky flavors of the meat throughout the dish. That’s exactly how my granny cooked her greens, smothered pork chops and her best Sunday baked chicken.

 

INGREDIENTS

For the Marinade:

1 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1½ tsp paprika

½ tsp pepper

½ tsp dried minced onion

½ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp oregano

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp lemon juice

Enough olive oil to make about 1 Tbsp. of paste

For the Rest of the Dish:

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 link of andouille sausage, sliced into ¼-inch slices

4 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

2 celery stalks, diced

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup DRY long-grain rice

2¼ cups chicken stock or broth

Sliced green onions for garnish

Minced fresh parsley for garnish

 

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add chicken thighs and turn to coat. Set aside.

Add a drizzle of olive oil to an oven-proof Dutch oven or large pot with a lid and heat over medium-high heat. Brown andouille sausage on both sides in the oil, then transfer sausage to a plate.

Add chicken thighs to the same pot, skin side down, and sear for 2-3 minutes per side, to develop a nice crispy skin. Transfer chicken to the plate with the sausage. Brown bits and pan drippings are good to leave in, but remove any blackened and burned bits though.

Reduce heat to medium-low and add chopped onion, jalapeno and celery. Sauté for about 2-3 minutes, until softened. Stir in cayenne, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper.

Add the rice and the chicken stock, give it a stir, and let it simmer for 1 minute.

Place the chicken thighs and sausage on top of the rice (pour in the juices that are left on the plate as well). Return to a simmer, then cover.

Bake for 35 minutes (covered). Remove the cover and bake another 10-15 minutes, until liquid is absorbed into the rice. Garnish with sliced green onions and minced parsley, if desired.

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Quick Tip:  Could you possibly want this to be even spicier? If so, just leave the seeds in your jalapeno, add another jalapeno or simply use more cayenne pepper and/or crushed red pepper flakes. 

Recipe and image courtesy of Amanda at The Chunky Chef