I found and bought the marinated butterflied chicken; all I needed to do were put in oven and roast it; save time to marinate. There were a few different marinated flavourings. I can’t resist chili, so I choose peri peri chicken over lemon garlic buttered flavour, and soy and teriyaki sauce chicken just naming two but there are few others.
Google: “Mussel is the common name used for members of several families of bivalve molluscs, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which are often more or less rounded or oval.”
Did you know “Mussels are a clean and nutritious source of protein, as well as being a great source of omega 3 fatty acids, zinc and folate, and they exceed the recommended daily intake of selenium, iodine and iron. Mussels are sustainably farmed with no negative impact to the environment.”
One of my sisters gave me some cherries tomatoes, and another sister gave me some chilies. I am combining them to make steamed mussels. Finally, I got basmati and water ratio just right, not too soggy nor dry. The rice and peri peri chicken are cooked perfectly, and rice fluff and fragrant with spices. Also, the mussels are sweet intense flavoured with wine and stock. My dinner looks beautiful, comforting, and delicious. Let’s cook!!!
Ingredients
1 packet peri peri chicken, about 1.2 kg, room temperature
1 onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 Tbs minced garlic
60 g butter
1 Tbs oil
300 g basmati rice
8 cardamom pods, lightly pound
8 cherries tomatoes, cut in half
6 cloves
4-6 lemon skin strips
3 bay leaves
3 star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
1 sprig lemon thyme
1 3/4 c hot chicken stock, microwaved it
1 1/4 c hot boiling water
1/4 c white wine (OPT)
salt
pepper
Steamed mussels in wine stock
1 kg mussels, debeard, and wash
1 Tbs proactive margarine
1 Tbs minced garlic
6 cherries tomatoes, halved
3 chilies, two deseed, one left the seed, cut thinly
1/2 c stock, plus about 5 Tbs extra
1/4 c dry white wine
some rocket leaves
salt
pepper
Method
Baked peri peri chicken and rice
Preheat oven 180 degrees C. Soak basmati rice for 15 minutes, drain well and set aside. Heat butter and oil in cast iron pot on medium heat, when butter melted add onion and garlic, cook for about 5 minutes.
Add rice mix, stir well to coat in butter and oil. Then add all the spices, herb, cherries tomatoes and lemon skins and cook for 1 minutes. Pour stock, water and wine. Then put chicken on top of rice. Cover with lid. Bake for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes up remove the lid, pull cast iron pot out a bit from oven.
Spray oil on chicken for some glossy look. Then bake further 30-40 minutes uncovered until liquid absorbed and the rice and chicken are cooked. Switch off oven, leave chicken and rice in oven with door close for 10 minutes.
Steamed mussels in wine stock
In a deep wide sauce pan heat margarine over medium heat. When margarine melted and start bubbling, stir in garlic and cook for about 4 minutes. Add wine, stock, cherries tomatoes, chilies, mussels and rocket leaves, gives a good toss, making sure it’s one layer. Season with pepper. Cover with lids and cook the mussels until all have opened for 6-10 minutes. Discard any unopened, they are dead.
Once cooked: mussels are opened, remove lid and saucepan from heat taste if needed salt and more pepper. Using tong, I lined mussels in rows in serving plate and then spoon wine stock onto mussels.
Note: You can add more wine: 1c instead of 1/2 c. Less stock: 1/4 c instead of 1/2 c. You can omit chilies. You can use parsley instead of rocket leaves. You can add three colour capsicums to gives some colour instead of cherries tomatoes. You may add about 5 Tbs of cream to make cream sauce or tom yum paste for sweet and sour flavour.
Remove baked peri peri chicken and rice from oven after 10 minutes standing. Remove cooked chicken to chopping board and cut to bite pieces. Fluff up rice, removed all the spices especially bay leaves. Spoon rice and chicken pieces on to bowls. Followed by steamed mussels in wine stock. Serve with a glass of white wine. Enjoy!!!!
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