Chicken, Kielbasa & Rice

We love our Chicken Bog, a good old southern dish where people take great pride in their family recipes. However, unlike the bog, we don’t mix in the chicken meat, but rather roast the chicken thighs and serve on top of the kielbasa & rice mix.

Good cooking is all about planning. You could look at the recipe as complex, but all you are really doing is cooking some chicken and serving it over a bed of rice and kielbasa. Most of this can be done in advance.

This is easy to do… first, you will need to make a skillet toasted chicken thighs. Follow the instructions until you flip the thighs in the skillet and return to the oven to finish them off. Take them out at this point and wait to finish roasting them until your rice mix is down. You can do both at the same time as the chicken needs little attention:

Skillet Roasted Chicken Thighs

Chicken thighs are often overlooked as everyone is usually clamoring for skinless chicken breasts, which are also very tasty but you have to go back to the delicious crispy thigh that has some heat marinated into the meat. This is an easy, fast and inexpensive dish.  Be sure to cook it just before your guests arrive…

by Jim Courtovich November 14, 2018April 22, 2020

Making It

• For the rice:
• 2 cups basmati rice
• 3 cups homemade chicken stock
• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• For the kielbasa vegetable mix:
• 1 cup red onion, rough chopped
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1 cup green onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped cashews that have been toasted for 7 minutes in a 375 degree oven
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher sale and freshly ground black pepper

Making It:

• For the rice:
• In a four quart sauce pan, add the chicken stock, curry powder, butter, salt and rice, bring to a boil, cover and then simmer for 12 minutes or so. Review cooking time on the rice package.
• For the chicken:
• Make the skillet chicken, this is an easy dish and you can do it while you make the kielbasa mix. You can this prepare recipe in advance, just save the last step to do just before you serve.
• For the kielbasa mix:
• In a Dutch oven over medium high heat, drizzle olive oil to cover the bottom, and sear the kielbasa along with the onion and red pepper flakes. You want a good char on the kielbasa.
• Add the garlic and sauté for two minutes, then add the peas, a cup of the chicken stock, 1 tablespoon of curry and bring to a boil, stir in the rice, cilantro, basil and onions.
• Stir with a large wooden spoon until the stock is absorbed. Salt and pepper to taste, then lay out on a platter and layer the chicken thighs on top. Toss the cashews and herbs on top and serve.