French Oven Roasted Chicken, with Bell Pepper, Kale & Jicama Rice

One of my favourite pots is my oval Le Creuset French Oven and my favourite thing to cook in it is a whole chicken! Here's a variation of an earlier recipe I posted here a few months ago (French Oven Roasted Chicken with Flavored Rice). The chicken is so flavourful and tender, because after frying it in the pot, I cover it and bake it in the oven for 30 to 45 minutes. It becomes very succulent and "melt in the bone" soft. This version of the rice is flavoured with white wine and lemon, and is mixed with red and yellow bell peppers, jicama and kale. The jicama really adds texture and crunch to the rice. The dish makes one hearty, healthy meal!

If you do not have a French oven--or a Dutch oven, depending on the brand :)--any heavy lidded, oven proof pot will do.

FRENCH OVEN ROASTED CHICKEN, WITH BELL PEPPER, KALE & JICAMA RICE
Serves 6

Ingredients for marinating the chicken:
1 whole chicken
Sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped
Juice and zest of one lemon
1/4 cup light soy sauce
Freshly ground pepper to taste
3 tablespoons sesame oil

Ingredients for the rice:
Cooked Rice - I used 6 cups
1 red bell pepper and 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped into 1 cm pieces
1 small sized jicama, chopped into 1 cm pieces
1 bundle of kale
1 cup chopped bacon
1 head of garlic, minced
1 medium sized onion, minced
1/4 cup sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
1/2 cup white wine
Zest and juice of one lemon



Procedure:
1. Marinate your chicken in the rosemary, lemon zest and juice, soy sauce, pepper and sesame oil, a few hours before cooking. I usually marinate it overnight in the refrigerator.  Two hours before cooking, thaw out the chicken by putting it outside the refrigerator and draining the liquid.

2. Heat oil in the Le Creuset French Oven. Saute the garlic and onion and once the garlic is slightly brown and the onions are translucent, add the bacon. Saute for a few minutes; you don't need to make the bacon crispy. Add the jicama and saute for a few minutes. Add the bell peppers and sauté until half cooked. Do not overcook; make sure the vegetables are still a bright colour. Set aside.

3. Preheat oven to 350F. In the same pot, add more oil. Put the chicken and fry all sides, browning all surfaces that can come into contact with the pot.

Make sure you also do the sides.

Don't worry if the oil turns a bit brown. This is full of flavour!

4. Once you have fried all sides of the chicken, cover the pot then put it in the oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, uncover the pot and cook the chicken for 15 minutes more. Take out the chicken and set it aside in an oven proof bowl to rest, then put it back in the oven at 200F.

5. In the same pot, add the rice and the wine.

Mix well. Add the kecap manis and lemon juice.

Add the vegetables and mix them with the rice, loosening up the flavourful bits of goodness at the bottom of the pan. Add the kale in batches and mix well until the kale turns a bright green. Do not overcook! Make sure the kale is a bright green; turn down the fire.

6. Get the chicken and place it on top of the rice. There will be some juices from the chicken in the bowl; pour this on top of it. Sprinkle with lemon zest. Serve. Bon Appetit!