Savory Chicken and Rhubarb Casserole, with Lemon

Contains:  Nightshade, soy, potentially gluten, potentially seafood in a condiment.   Is:  Seasonal.    

Chicken, rhubarb, bell pepper, lemon.  Ate this out on the porch Wednesday night.  The rhubarb is indeed tucked in there!

I’ve come across a couple recipes that differ from each other in various ways, but that do follow the above theme. I ended up not referring back to either – but I did take the rhubarb shred garnish idea from one of them.

This is the first  of the rhubarb recipes I’ll be posting this year.  I’ll post the other two by Sunday.  The season is close to over, for rhubarb, and depending on how south you are located, it may well be past.  It’s still available up here in US/Canada Garden Zone 5.

Having a close up. You’ll see rhubarb to the left, green in this case.

I love the sweetish-tartness of rhubarb, if kept to a moderation that keeps a dish from being too astringent.  (My tolerance and love of astringent may well be greater than yours, which is why half the lemon is added at the table.)

For this recipe, feel free to use skin-on, bone-in dark meat, or the whole chicken including the white, smitten into portions.  Or, use boneless, skinless chicken thighs.

Outdoors for a wonderful porch-side meal.

Prep Time:  15 minutes.
Cook Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes.
Rest Time:  5 minutes.
Serves:  2 (two thighs per person, or one breast per person).
Cuisine:  European?  American?
Leftovers: Yes.  Microwave or re-heat in oven.

(If you use a whole chicken broken up, skin and bones included, do a generous doubling of everything mentioned in this recipe – although keep track of the amount of broth you add as you don’t want this “swimming”, simply enough to provide moisture to the veggies you’ll be using.)

• 4 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs.  (I’ll provide notes below should you use boneless thighs or other options.)  Or two breasts… 
• 1/2 yellow or white onion, chopped.  
• Cooking oil, about 1 tablespoon.
• 4 stalks rhubarb, chopped every 1/2 inch – for thick stalks slice longitudinally once before making the half inch chops.  (DO NOT USE LEAVES.)  
• 1/2 colorful bell pepper, de-seeded and sliced.  
• 1/3 – 1/2 cup vegetable broth.
• Juice of 1/2 lemon, divided.  
• 2-3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce.  (Most brands contain fish – anchovies – if you can’t find a vegan brand, sub with tamari or soy sauce instead, as desired)
• 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce of your choice.
• Ground pepper to taste.  
• Half a stalk of rhubarb, preferably from a red stalk, shredded thin.  – For garnish.
• 1 scallion / green onion (or several strands Asian chives instead), chopped.  – For garnish.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

To a skillet, add the cooking oil, and bring to enough heat that the pan sizzles to a drop of water.  Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 or so minutes.

Add the bone in chicken thighs, skin side down.  Allow to brown, about 5-8 minutes, then flip, and allow them to brown further, another 5 minutes.

Add Worchester sauce and hot sauce to the onions and chicken, mix briefly.

If using boneless chicken, whether dark or white meat, add the rhubarb now.  Stir the veggie portion gently for five more minutes.  Otherwise wait on the rhubarb.

Place everything from your skillet into a suitable baking pan.  Place chicken so skin side is up, and keep the chicken in one layer, only.  Add rhubarb now if you are using bone-in chicken. Add the bell pepper, juice from 1/4 lemon, and the broth.  Gently distribute the veggies around the chicken.  The chicken should not be entirely submerged in liquid.  Grind fresh pepper over the top, to desired amount.

Lightly cover the pan with foil – just set it on top.

Bake for 30 minutes.

If using boneless chicken, bake for 20-25 minutes.  Boneless will typically cook faster.

Remove from oven and remove the foil (to be used some other day).  Return to oven for another 20 minutes, to complete the cooking process and to draw off excess liquids.

For skin-on chicken:  set on broil to crisp up the skin – 2 to 3 minutes.  Otherwise simply remove from oven and allow to rest five minutes.

When the dish is done, scatter on the above garnishes, provide lemon slices to use at the table, plate and serve.

 

This recipe is shared at:

Fiesta Friday

Full Plate Thursday

Homestead Blog Hop

What’s for Dinner – Sunday Link Up