CHICKEN BIRYANI

Reheating time: 10-15 minutes- preheat oven to 400F

Having a song stuck in your head is the worst. It happens to me all the time, usually with songs that I actually like, but never the whole thing- just a snippet/set of lyrics playing on some terrible out-of-time loop. It can really ruin a good song for me, especially if I have to listen to some disjointed iteration of it playing incessantly in my head all day as I’m trying to focus. Sometimes, I notice other thoughts floating around up there in circles- everything from menu items, to questions about outer space- once it’s bouncing around in my hollow head, it’s not going anywhere. Tonight’s dinner was one of those thoughts that we just couldn’t shake. Theo mentioned cooking rice in the drippings from roasted chicken one day, and since then, I’ve been obsessed. Tonight’s dinner is my equivalent of listening to that song you have stuck in your head. Hopefully, it is as gratifying for you as it is for me. Get in there!

For the chicken, potatoes, and rice:

For the rice tonight, we saved all the delicious  juices from roasting the yogurt marinated chicken and used them to make a shorba-type thing- basically just a pan gravy with caramelized onions, tons of spices, and aromatics. To reheat, I recommend baking everything in a large casserole dish. You can even put the potatoes in here too if you don’t mind things touching. 

In a large rectangular casserole dish (doesn’t have to be a rectangle I guess, but now that I think about it, I have never seen a non-rectangular casserole dish. Maybe an oval? No rhombus or trapezoids… Anyway…), lay out the rice and potatoes side by side and flatten them out a bit with the back of a spoon. Add about ¼ – ½ cup of water (use good judgment, not a ton but enough to get tings nice and steamy in there), and arrange the chicken breasts on top of the rice and potatoes. 

Cover the whole thing with tinfoil, and bake in the oven at 400F for 7 – 12 minutes, until everything is nice and hot. Check after 7 minutes- might need more time depending on the strength of your oven. Once everything is steamy and hot, remove the tinfoil, and set your oven to high broil. Broil the whole casserole dish until the chicken skin is crackling and bubbly, and the rice/potatoes are beginning to caramelize on top. You’re almost there!

Once everything is hot, carefully slice the chicken breasts on a cutting board, and grab a serving utensil! Don’t forget to liberally apply a dollop or seven of that raita to mellow out all these punchy flavors. Balance is important.

For the flatbread:

Toast this up in the oven under the broiler, or in the regular toaster. Once it’s golden brown and crispy, slather it up with that roasted garlic butter, and if you have some, top with nice sea salt. Jam it in on the side of your plate for catching all the saucy ricey goodness that may be left behind.

That’s it! 

Thanks again for ordering, and don’t forget to snap a pic of your plated dinner and tag us on social media 🙂 Dinner is served, and solved. #weareweco

CRISPY CHICKPEA SALAD

Thanks for ordering!

In my other reheating instructions today I mentioned having a song stuck in my head, how I constantly have other ideas stuck in my head (specifically food ideas), and how sometimes you just need to make the thing to get it out of your head. Well, today I got two birds stoned at once (that’s the expression, right?)- crispy chickpea salad has been on the to do list since Gigi made those amazing taco-spiced chickpeas for her tex-mex salad (which is also floating around in my head BTW- hint hint). Tonight’s are equally delicious, especially when paired up with cucumber and tomato salad, paneer, shaved carrots, microgreens, and a garam masala dressing. Yummy. To enjoy this salad, simply dollop that dressing all over and mix it on up. Attack! Enjoy 🙂