Black Rice Crusted Chicken with Hot Dog Relish

Ingredients

• ½ cup black glutinous rice, soaked overnight
• 2 Tbsp NZ sea salt flakes
• 2 large chicken thighs, tenderised with mallet
• 8 large spinach leaves, blanched & pat dried
• 4 slices cheddar cheese
• 3 Tbsp vegetable oil

Method

Drain the black glutinous rice.

Line a steamer insert with damp muslin cloth, place in the rice.

Pre-heat oven to 125 C.

Steam the rice for 30 minutes then scrape the rice off the muslin cloth and dry in the oven until crisp, about 45 mins – 1hour.

Place the rice into a coffee grinder with the sea salt and blitz to a fine powder.  There maybe larger unground particles, so you may need to sieve and regrind.

On a bench lined with cling film, season the chicken with sea salt, lay over the spinach leaves and cheddar cheese.  Roll up tight into a roulade, secure with string and form shape with cling film, refrigerate.

Remove the cling wrap from the chicken, dip each thigh into the black rice crust.

Pre-heat oven to 195 C.

In a non-stick frypan, heat the oil, seal the chicken all over then transfer to the oven to cook for approx 13-15 minutes.  Allow to rest for 4 minutes before removing string and portioning.

Serve with hot dog relish, crunchy blanched beans and toasted almonds, sauté potatoes.

Hot Dog Relish

• 500g white onions, peeled & thinly sliced
• ½ Tbsp sea salt
• 125 ml vegetable oil
• ½ Tbsp brown mustard seeds
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 ½  Tbsp American mustard
• 1 Tbsp goney
• 50 ml malt vinegar
• 50g brown sugar
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled & thinly sliced
• 1 red birds eye chilli, finely sliced
• 1 tsp ginger, peeled & grated

Method

Place the onions in a bowl and sprinkle over the salt an set aside for 15 minutes.

Heat the oil in a large heavy bottomed saucepan, add the mustard seeds and cook until they start to pop.

Stir in the chilli flakes, turmeric, mustard, honey, vinegar and brown sugar.  When mixture starts to bubble, add onion and remaining ingredients.

Cook gently for 3-5 minutes until onion starts to soften, remove from heat and cool.

Stephen Morris’s wine recommendations

Vavasour 2009 – Awatere Valley, Marlborough

Martinborough Vineyards 2008

Wither Hills 2009 Pinot Gris, Marlborough