Chicken with Schmaltzy Rice and Kale

Ingredients:

  • ¾ cup white jasmine or short-grain rice
  • Kosher salt
  • 4 chicken quarters
  • 2 tablespoons (plus ¼ cup) vegetable oil
  • 1 bunch scallions (thinly sliced)
  • 1 (1 inch) piece ginger (peeled, finely chopped)
  • 3 garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
  • 2 bunches Tuscan kale (ribs and stems removed, leaves torn)
  • ½ cup chicken broth or water

Directions

Place rice in a strainer or sieve and rinse, swishing around with your hands, until water from rice runs clear; drain well.

Bring rice, a pinch of salt, and 1 cup water in a small saucepan to a simmer over medium-high. Cover pan, reduce heat to low, and cook rice until tender, about 20 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Let rice sit 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

Preheat oven to 425° F. Season chicken legs generously with salt.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Cook chicken, skin side down, until skin is golden brown and well on its way to being crispy (try weighing it down with another heavy skillet for maximum crispiness), 7-9 minutes.

Transfer skillet to oven (leaving chicken legs skin side down and with weight on top if you’re using one) and roast chicken legs until deeply browned and very crispy, 8-10 minutes.

Turn chicken skin side up (remove weight) and continue to roast until cooked through (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of legs should register 165° F), about 5 minutes longer.

Transfer chicken to a wire rack, arranging skin side up. Reserve skillet (wrap a kitchen towel around the handle so you don’t forget it’s really hot and burn your hand).

Bring scallions and remaining ¼ cup oil to an aggressive boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ginger and immediately transfer scallion oil to a small bowl; season with salt. Let cool.

Heat reserved skillet over medium. Cook garlic, stirring occasionally, until beginning to turn golden around the edges, about 2 minutes. Add kale a handful at a time, letting it wilt before adding more. Add broth and cook, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of skillet, until kale is softened, about 3 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring often, until liquid evaporates and rice is warm and beginning to crisp, about 3 minutes. Season with salt.

Transfer rice mixture to a platter and arrange chicken on top. Serve scallion oil alongside.

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