Italian Style Chicken and Rice

Serves 4-5

Ingredients

1/2 meat from a poached chicken (See note) 

2tbsp oil

1 large carrot diced  1 white onion diced

1large celery diced  2tsp chopped garlic

1tsp salt  1 heaped tsp smoky paprika

1tbp tomato puree and 100ml passata   

1tsp mixed dried herbs  1 mug long grain white rice

750ml chicken stock see below 

2tbsp chopped parsley

Grated Parmesan and garlic bread to serve

Method

Heat the oil in a large pot (that you have a lid for) over a high heat add the garlic and stir until it sizzles, turn down to medium and add the onion, carrot and celery and cook until well softening.

Season well with the salt and add in the paprika, dried mixed herbs followed by the puree and passata. Stir well, tip in the stock and the rice and cook lid on until the rice is almost cooked.

Stir in the cooked shredded chicken and finish off the cooking of the rice and make sure the chicken is nice and hot.

Check the seasoning, sprinkle over the chopped parsley and serve with garlic bread and a grating of Parmesan. Note you could also add some chopped green olives into this if you like them.

Note

Poach a whole chick in water – add enough water to cover the chicken, lid on for about 45mins to an hour depending on size and you will have delicious chicken stock plus loads of cooked chicken you can use in this and lots of other recipes. Remove the cooked chicken off the bones and store left over chicken in the fridge.

For 4 –use half the chicken for a generous meal