Donna's Chicken

Donna's Chicken

For 12-15 using 14 inch deep dutch oven

5 pounds of chicken hind quarters
1 #10 can of tomatoes or 3 29 oz ones.
1 2 pound bag of rice
Sweet Basil
Salt and Pepper

The story of this one was a day several years ago when two guys could not decide what to cook, so we winged it.

We were going to do something with 5 pounds of chicken hind quarters that we had brought. I cut the legs from the thighs with my meat cleaver, always fun to do with a crowd. My friend put them in the oven, with some just a little water and started them simmering and when ask what we were making he “don't know, your turn” so I added some salt and pepper, because it just seemed right. He then found some sweet basil and added a tablespoon or so.

Well we kicked it around, wasn't in the mood to make noodles so after a bit I dug out some tomatoes and added them, planning on removing the lid toward the end and reducing it til thick.

Well a few more people showed up that expected that wanted to eat if there were enough, so Matt grabbed a 2 pound bag of rice and added it, we kept an eye on it adding a little more water as needed till the rice was done.

The folks who ate loved it. When our dear friend Donna came up and gave us each a kiss on the cheek for such a wonderful dish, we named it "Donna's Chicken.”

Historically this is an interesting dish, it can't prove it was ever made in the 19th century, but no one can prove it wasn't under a different name. There are recipes for chicken and rice, canned tomatoes were cheap and plentiful, Sweet Basil was grown in a lot of gardens.

And I'll bet we wern't the first to put tomatoes in the "Chicken and Rice."