A small amount of dried porcini mushrooms goes a long way. Using the reconstituted mushrooms and their soaking liquid gives this one-dish meal a rich, earthy flavor.
I read through all of the reviews before attempting this dish. I didn't have porcini mushrooms and so used dried shiitake mushrooms soaked in chicken broth. I seasoned the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, dried thyme and allowed it to sit for 30 minutes before cooking. I also added 1 tablespoon of minced garlic in with the onions, but did not need the 2nd tablespoon of oil. I did deglaze a bit with some white wine. I had some left over caramelized onions from another recipe so I added that with the chopped mushrooms. I planned on a full hour to simmer for fully cooked brown rice, so I added chicken broth when needed. The family enjoyed it - I thought it was just ok. But I would make it again.
I meant brown the chicken. Oooops!
Not good use of porcini. Will not make again
The rice does NOT take 35-45 min to cook. It took over an hour to finish this meal. We were starving by the time it was ready. It was good but not worth the trouble. It was suppose to be a fast and easy recipe.
"A small amount of dried porcini mushrooms goes a long way. Using the reconstituted mushrooms and their soaking liquid gives this one-dish meal a rich, earthy flavor" this means it tastes a lot like dirt!! Tried it again without the porcini mushrooms and it was delish!!
I read all of the horrible reviews for this, but I was determined to make it anyway. Instead of brown rice, I used Thai Jasmine rice and cooked it with chicken broth to add flavor. I think this helped tremendously. I would have used brown rice/chicken broth, but my husband doesn't like brown rice. I used chicken breasts instead of thighs, and I think the thigh meat would have been better. I seasoned the chicken with some adobo and paprika, and it had decent flavor. I added extra seasonings to the rice itself, and it wasn't a bad dish overall, just boring. It was a satisfying, quick weeknight meal. I wouldn't say it was anything special. Also, since I used the white rice, the dish cooked faster.
I decided to try this recipe even though the ratings weren't good. I had some leftover chicken breast to use up. Left out the porcinis because I don't like them but followed the rest of the recipe closely. Skipped the step for cooking the chicken and used chicken broth for liquid to cook the rice adding the cubed chicken at the end to heat it up. Good solid recipe particularly for using leftovers. Would make this again as a family dinner.
This has potential as a starting point, but definitely needs some changes. I made it by recipe the first time and it was just 'ok'. The second time around I used chicken breast tenders and sprinkled them with smoked paprika. Used low sodium chicken broth to soak the dried mushrooms - definitely adds more flavor dimension. Also needs garlic, and the addition of some fresh herbs. I used parsley and tarragon, but I think rosemary would also be a nice addition, or maybe basil and oregano. Also, my family prefers the vegies on the side. The peas just didn't add anything but color to the recipe in my opinion.
I agree that the recipe made as written is bland tasting, but I think it has potential. Next time I make it I will sprinkle the chicken with smoked paprika for more flavor and I will add more salt to the dish overall. Also, I liked the previous suggestion of adding chicken stock instead of, or in addition to, the porcini water. Garlic would be a definite addition, and also maybe some white wine to deglaze the pan before adding the liquid. My family liked the recipe overall, and with a few tweaks, I think it has potential. Question: did anyone have the rice soak up all the liquid before the cooking time suggested in the recipe was finished? I kept having to add water (contributing to the bland flavor) and the cooking time was 10 minutes less than directed. Not necessarily a bad thing considering the long cook time. Otherwise, the recipe turned out fine, and the texture of all the ingredients was good.
In my opinion, this dish lacked flavor and took WAY too long to prepare. My family loves mushrooms (and rice and chicken), so I thought this would be a good, healthy addition to the repertoire, but I would not make this again, at least in any way that would be recognizable as it's currently written. If you're interested in trying this recipe, I'd recommend the following: (1) Use chicken breast. It takes FOREVER to remove the fat from the thighs, and I don't think using dark meat adds that much flavor. (2) Marinate the chicken in something -- this recipe leaves the chicken very bland. Beccaroo's suggestion of soy sauce might be good here. Or maybe a combo of olive oil, salt, pepper, and minced thyme/rosemary? (3) Add garlic with the onions and creminis (or maybe in the chicken marinade), because hey, everything is better with garlic, and this recipe could use all the help it can get. (4) Add more salt. Seriously, a 1/4 t for all the veggies and rice?? That's ridiculous.
First of all, make sure you read the instructions and realize how long this recipe takes beforehand. I had set this recipe aside and started to make it one night as hunger was setting in on us, however was really disappointed when I realized that it wouldn't be ready until almost an hour later. No way we could wait that long, so we pretty much ditched the recipe and did our own thing. We used most of the same ingredients, but used quick cooking rice and turned this in to a 20 minute meal. We also added soy sauce, which really upped the flavor.
The dish was very bland. Both my husband and I thought it was missing something. I was extremely disappointed in it given the amount of prep! I probably won't make it again.
My husband and I enjoyed this very much. Good comfort food.
So bland everything I fear in healthy cooking. I'm not sure how leg and thigh meat can end up bland. My Fiancee took two bights asked me how I like it, before I answer she was in the kitchen was scraping it in the garbage. This needs some big flavors think hot paprika, maybe some chili power, Sage maybe some rosemary and if I do this again I will try chicken stock instead of the reserved mushroom water.
I really liked this recipe--great flavor. I agree that you could cut back on the oil--I may try substituting chicken breasts next time around given all the flavor you get from mushrooms and onions. I really think that's the only thing I would change.
I'm glad I ignored the previous reviewers b/c we really liked this recipe. I didn't use as much oil and I only had frozen peas and carrots instead of just peas and it was fine. I thought this was really flavorful (I LOVE mushrooms). It did take a bit of time to prep, but that is clearly stated on the recipe, so I knew what I was getting into. I don't usually cook with chicken thighs, I don't really like the taste. But I am glad I did, they were so moist and tender. I didn't think it was bland at all, but if you aren't crazy for mushrooms, then this isn't for you.
Ditto previous comments, wish I had read them before preparing. Sherry addition a good idea.
I agree with first review - a lot of work, especially if you take the time to cut off the fat from the thighs. We thought the recipe was OK, but bland. It has potential... we added sherry and spices.
This recipe takes a long time to make from start to finish; not an ideal work night meal. But the recipe is certainly not good enough for a weekend. That being said, the recipe was okay. The overall flavor was decent. Finally, the recipe was too oily for me, greasy chicken thighs plus 2 tablespoons of oil. We used coarsely ground black pepper on the recipe, and it added a lot.
