Chicken Perloo

Perloo is the Lowcountry one-pot rice dish where chicken and rice cook together in seasoned stock until every grain carries the flavor of the bird. The name shifts from perloo to purloo to pilau depending on which side of the marsh you grew up on, but the method stays the same: brown the meat, build the broth, then let the rice drink it all in.

Ingredients

• 3 lbs bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 slices bacon, chopped
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 cups long-grain white rice (Carolina Gold if available), rinsed
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 green onions, sliced, for garnish

Instructions

1. Season the chicken all over with salt and black pepper. In a large Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, then remove it and set aside.
2. Add the oil to the bacon fat, raise the heat to medium-high, and brown the chicken pieces skin-side down until golden, about 5 minutes per side. Work in batches so the pot is not crowded, then remove the chicken.
3. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of fat. Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper and cook until soft, about 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook one minute.
4. Add the drained tomatoes, stock, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, cayenne, and bay leaves. Return the chicken and any juices to the pot, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
5. Remove the chicken to a plate. When cool enough to handle, pull the meat off the bones in large pieces and discard the skin and bones.
6. Stir the rinsed rice into the simmering liquid, nestle the chicken back in, cover tightly, and cook on low for 20 to 22 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid absorbed. Remove the bay leaves, let rest 5 minutes, then fold in the reserved bacon and scatter green onions over the top.

Tips

• Keep the ratio close to 1 1/2 cups liquid per cup of rice once the chicken comes out, since the tomatoes and rendered fat add moisture too.
• A cast-iron Dutch oven holds steady low heat and gives you the lightly crusted bottom layer that perloo cooks prize.