A taste of the cuisine from the Gerudo region of Hyrule. This dish highlights poultry and Hylian rice. The rice is cooked with poultry, seasoned with Gerudo herbs and spices, and vegetables, such as swift or endura carrots.
“Sautéed Hylian rice steamed in poultry broth. Cooked on low heat until the rice is fluffy. The rice permeates the savory taste of the poultry in this Gerudo-region favorite. Made with the highest-quality poultry, every bite of this pilaf floods your mouth with flavor.”
Ingredients
1 chicken breast or 1-2 chicken thighs
1-2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups arborio rice
3-4 cups chicken broth
1 carrot, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup peas
¼ cup chopped parsley
1-2 tbsp of Gerudo Spice
1 tsp saffron
2 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
4 chicken leg quarters
1 chicken breast or 1-2 chicken thighs
1-2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups arborio rice
3-4 cups chicken broth
1 carrot, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup peas
¼ cup chopped parsley
1-2 tbsp of Gerudo Spice
1 tsp saffron
2 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
4 chicken leg quarters
Before cooking, season all chicken pieces liberally with Gerudo Spice on all sides. Take one tsp of saffron and crush the strands by rolling them in your palm with your fingers, and then add it to 1 cup of chicken broth and stir to bloom. Wash the arborio rice in water and let dry in colander. Wash 2 to 3 times to remove a good amount of the starch. (We’re making pilaf, not risotto.)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F). Rub chicken leg quarters with olive oil and season liberally with Gerudo Spice. Bake on tray in oven for 30-40 minutes or until internal temperature is 165 (F). Remove from oven to rest.
In a Dutch oven over low-medium heat, add olive oil and cook chicken breast or thighs on each side for 5 minutes. Remove from Dutch oven, cut into one inch pieces, and return the pieces to the Dutch oven to cook fully through (anywhere from 2-5 more minutes more). Remove to a bowl and set aside.
Add more oil to Dutch oven, if necessary, and then add the onion and carrot. Cook for about 5 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add garlic, cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir. Add the rice and stir. Add the broth and saffron mixture and scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the Dutch oven. Then add another cup of chicken broth, the bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Cook on low until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the chicken pieces back in along with another cup of chicken broth and the peas. Stir to combine. Cook until the liquid is cooked off. The pilaf should be finished. (If the rice is not done, add 1/2 cup more chicken broth and continue to cook until cooked off). Remove bay leaves, add chopped parsley, and stir.
To serve, scoop a generous portion of the pilaf onto a plate, and top with a chicken leg quarter. Sprinkle more chopped parsley over everything. Recommend serving some dressed salad greens on the side.
Learn more about the Gourmet Poultry Pilaf dish from Breath of the Wild at Zelda Dungeon.