Vivian Howard was raised on this humble comfort dish, known as a “bog” in her neck of the woods. Boiling the chicken till it falls off the bone yields a flavorful broth for the rice to soak up, resulting in a rich, silky porridge that’s plump with chicken. Think of it as Southern risotto!
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 30 min |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 3 pounds whole chicken
- 2 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided, plus more for serving
- 2 bay leaves (optional)
- 1 medium yellow onion, halved (optional)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2 cups long-grain white rice, may substitute brown rice, quinoa, or a combination
- 1 cup chicken broth, optional, as needed at the end of cooking
- Juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Remove gizzards and liver from chicken and discard; keep the neck (optional). Place chicken—and neck, if using—into a large Dutch oven or pot, breast side up. Add enough cool water to just barely cover the chicken. Over high heat, bring to a boil. While heating, season with ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and add bay leaves and onion if using. When boiling, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook, about 1 hour.
- After an hour, chicken should be fully cooked and falling off the bone. Turn off heat, remove lid, and let rest in the broth, 30 minutes.
- Remove chicken from the pot and set aside to cool. Meanwhile, season the broth with remaining black pepper and salt. Bring back to a boil and stir in rice; lower heat and simmer uncovered, 1 minute. Stir and cook another 8–20 minutes, depending on the cooking directions of the type of rice you’re using.
- Meanwhile, pull the chicken into sizable chunks, discarding the bones, skin, and fat; pour any juices that run off back into the chicken meat. When the rice is cooked, add chicken back to the pot. Stir, cover, and simmer, 10 more minutes.
- After 10 minutes, the rice will have absorbed most of the broth, yielding a soupy consistency. (At this point, add more broth if desired.) Season with more black pepper and salt to taste. Stir in the lemon juice. Sprinkle with more black pepper and serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 14 servings |
| Calories | 310 |
| Total Fat | 16 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 18 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 1 g |
| Protein | 22 g |
| Cholesterol | 73 mg |
| Sodium | 351 mg |
Reviews
I made this for dinner and shared with my friend from Northern Ireland. He has a simple/basic pallet and loved this.
I am not as simple, however also loved this recipe. The nourishment and wholesome goes directly into your bones.
I served with a side of cooked mushrooms, and separately cooked broccoli rabe. and parmesan cheese with a grater to top anywhere you like — chicken/rice, broccoli rabe, or mushrooms.
It is wonderful.
I’ve made it several times. First time was just too bland for my liking. Second time I divided the process into 2 stages. Used bay leaf, whole onion, rosemary sprig, & juniper berries in the first round, along with about a cup of pinot grigio we had lurking in the fridge. Took chicken out when done, removed meat & refrigerated it, then put the bones back in & simmered it down until it was a nice broth. As others suggested, I measured the amount of broth left & used appropriate amount. Yum.
Thank you for reminding me of this childhood fave!
I have made this recipe twice, once with long-grain white rice and once with brown basmati rice, and it was excellent both times. I would say don’t skip the onion or bay leaves. Also, consider adjusting how much rice you use based on the size of your chicken (larger chicken = more water to cover). My first chicken was about 3 lbs, so 2 cups of rice was perfect. My second chicken was 5.5 lbs, so I upped the rice to 3.5 cups which worked great. Wonderful comfort food that even our picky eater devours. Thank you!!
My grandma made this all the time and now I make it, and my kids love it. Thanks for posting this classic ❤️
Bland. Needless death of a chicken.
Easy and delicious! I added two whole carrots and celery for extra flavor. The lemon juice really kicks it up in flavor at the end!