Ingredients
¼ cup flour
Salt and pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp butter
1 whole chicken, broken down into its myriad parts
4 slices bacon
1 dried chipotle pepper, split open and seeds discarded
1 medium onion, or ½ large onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 large cloves garlic, diced
2 Tbsp curry powder
½ cup white wine
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
3 Tbsp slivered almonds, toasted
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup jasmine rice
1 cup coconut milk
1 ½ cups water
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 325
Combine the flour, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, thyme and cayenne in a bowl. In a large sauté pan melt the butter of medium heat until it starts to foam. Dredge chicken in the flour mixture, shake off excess, and fry until browned up real nice. This will take around 6-8 minutes or more depending on how many batches you have to do. Remove chicken from pan to a plate and drain off all but 1 Tbsp of the fat.
Cook bacon in the sauté pan until crispy, remove to a plate. Cool and crumble.
Add the chipotle to the sauté pan and fry until very fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Remove the pepper (you’re just looking for the flavor and a touch of heat) and discard, or use in that chili you’re likely to make.
Add the onion, pepper, garlic and curry powder to the skillet and sauté of medium-high heat until softened, about 5-6 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and cook until almost dry again. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If the sauce is too acidic for you at this point add a few pinches of sugar.
Spread 1 cup of the sauce into a casserole dish big enough to accommodate all of the chicken. Arrange the chicken in a single layer, then top with remaining sauce. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes more.
Make the rice
Wash the rice for a few minutes under cold running water. In a medium sauce pot heat the butter and oil over medium heat until butter begins to foam. Add rice to pot and fry for a few minutes, stirring constantly.
Add the coconut milk and water to the rice and stir. Cover and let cook until all the water is absorbed, 8-10 minutes. Check to ensure your rice is cooked fully, if not add a little more water and cook until absorbed.
Scoop the rice onto a plate, top with chicken, sauce, crumbled bacon and toasted almonds.
