Chicken Ginu

• vegetable oil for pan fry
• 2 chicken breasts, bone in or out, skin on or off.
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 cup rice (can be basmati, just not quick-cooking nor arborio)
• 1-2 cups seasoned broth (or whatever rice’s package direction suggests)
• 1 tbsp each chopped sage leaves, thyme, rosemary (use fresh leaves if possible; if dried, use 1 tsp of each)
• 1/2 c water
• 1 c white sugar
• 1 cup vinegar, plus more to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375-F.
2. Make the gastrique. Add water to pan, and slowly pour sugar into the middle of it. Slowly swirl the sugar with your finger until it takes the consistency of wet sand. Be careful not to get any crystals on the edge of the pan, or else your gastrique will get grainy. Place over HIGH heat until water evaporates and sugar starts to melt. Do not stir. Soon, when the sugar is golden brown, remove the sugar from heat and pour in the acid. There will be a little splattering. Carefully stir over low heat to make uniform in texture. Add herbs and let sit until ready to serve.
3. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a HOT saucepan, add oil brown the chicken skin side down first if applicable. Move the chicken to a roasting pan (or whatever is size appropriate) and put into the oven until internal temp is 160˚.
4. In same pan that chicken was in, provided there are no burned bits, sauté the shallots until aromatic. (If any other diced veggies are wanted, add them now to sweat.) Add the rice and toss to coat with fat in the pan, adding butter if necessary. Add heated stock a little at a time until rice is fully cooked. Fluff with fork.
5. To plate: add rice, cooked chicken breast on top, and cover with a spoonful of strained gastrique. This goes well with a light salad of arugula with vinaigrette.

Fun fact: did you know that “arugula” is known as “rocket” in British kitchens? Why didn’t that work in the us?! I mean, how cool would it be to ask for a “rocket salad”?