Chicken and Rice Casserole Baked from Raw Rice

Ingredients

• 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
• 3 cups hot chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Before you cook

• Pat the chicken thighs completely dry with paper towels.
• Mix the salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder in a small bowl and rub it all over the thighs.
• Dice the onion and celery.
• Warm the chicken broth in a saucepan or the microwave.

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Melt the butter in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Lay the chicken thighs in skin side down and sear them for 6 minutes without moving them, until the skin is deep brown and crisp.
4. Move the thighs to a plate, leaving all the fat behind in the pan.
5. Add the onion and celery to the hot fat and cook for 5 minutes, until softened.
6. Add the rice and stir for 2 minutes, until the grains turn chalky white and smell toasty.
7. Pour in the hot broth and the cream and stir once to level the rice.
8. Add the thyme and the bay leaf.
9. Set the chicken thighs on top of the rice, skin side up, and do not push them down.
10. Bring the liquid to a simmer on the stove.
11. Transfer the uncovered skillet to the oven and bake for 40 minutes.
12. Check that the rice has absorbed the liquid and the chicken reads 175 degrees Fahrenheit at the bone.
13. Let the pan rest on the stovetop for 10 minutes so the rice finishes steaming.
14. Pull out the bay leaf, scatter the parsley over the top, and serve straight from the skillet.