“A pilaf is one of the most popular dishes in Romania, a fantastic combination of any ingredients we have at hand, cooked together with rice: chicken pilaf, vegetable pilaf and even fruit pilaf,” explains Irina Georgescu.
“The rice is cooked in plenty of stock, and stewed gently in a covered pot until it reaches a creamy yet runny consistency.”
Pilaf cu Pui | Chicken pilaf with potatoes and garlic courgettes
Ingredients:
(Serves 4-6)
35ml (generous 2tbsp) sunflower oil
4 medium bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1 large brown onion, finely sliced
300g potatoes, cut into thick chunks
1tbsp white wine vinegar
250g long-grain white rice
1L vegetable or chicken stock
1⁄4tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 medium courgette
2 large garlic cloves
1tsp chopped marjoram, fresh or dried
Salt
To serve:
Good olive oil
Lemon wedges
Tomato salad
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C fan (325°F/gas 3).
2. Use a 23-24 centimetre, 12 centimetre-deep casserole dish with a lid (otherwise, cooking times may differ).
3. Cover the base with the oil and heat well. Sprinkle the chicken with salt generously, and fry the thighs in one layer for 15 minutes, turning often. Keep the heat on medium so they don’t burn, then transfer the cooked chicken to a plate.
4. Fry the onion with a good pinch of salt in the remaining oil over a medium heat for eight minutes. Add the potatoes, combine well and fry for another three minutes, then add the vinegar and scrape the base of the pan with a spatula to remove all those caramelised bits.
5. Place the chicken thighs on top of the potatoes in one layer, then scatter the rice on top and add the stock. Taste the stock to make sure it’s salty enough; if not, add more to the dish. The secret to a good pilaf is using a generous amount of salt. Add the black pepper, then cover and cook in the oven for 25 minutes. It will make a rather loose pilaf. Alternatively, cook it until the stock is completely absorbed.
6. Meanwhile, grate the courgette and garlic together and mix with the marjoram. When the rice is cooked, spread this mixture on top, put the lid back on and leave the pan to sit for five minutes out of the oven.
7. Serve immediately with a drizzle of your best olive oil, wedges of lemon to squeeze on top and a tomato salad.
Danube by Irina Georgescu is published by Hardie Grant on January 16, priced £28. Photography by Issy Croker
