Happy spring, food adventurers! Spring means time for rhubarb, and one of my favorite recipes that highlights this is baked rhubarb chicken from Moiraine Sedai’s home country of Cairhien (pronounced “KAI-ree-EHN”). Today we visit the main capital city, also called Cairhien. This is such a popular recipe there that it can be found in most inns across the city, from the colorful and boisterous foregate area on the outskirts of town where the “commoners” live and up into the walled-off section where the nobles keep their somber estates. Skill in the highly political Game of Houses is needed for a wax-sealed invite to a fancy dinner party, so we will enjoy the festive spring atmosphere in the foregate with dinner.

There are almost constant festivals going on in the city of Cairhien, and no one seems sure what the current one is even celebrating, but boy do they celebrate! There are fireworks in the evenings from the Illuminator’s Guild (paid for by the king of course), musicians and street food in every intersection, and a constant barrage of noise and lights and smells. We dodge out of the way of parades, and marvel as giant puppets on sticks are carried through the streets. We find an inn with a view of the famous topless towers, an ambitious and incomplete building project by competitive nobles from decades past. The nobles do some questionable things for sure. Enough sightseeing – it’s time for dinner!

Rhubarb is most commonly used in pie, but it has more versatility than that and can be paired with other strong flavors such as ginger and onions for a well balanced savory dish.

Rhubarb Chicken

Spicy ginger, sweet brown sugar, and tangy onions bring a food adventure to your mouth in one beautiful dish, showing that rhubarb has so much more to offer than pie.

5 from 1 vote

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Course Main Course

Cuisine Wheel of Time

Servings 0

Equipment

• 1 9×13" baking dish
• Meat thermometer

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 ½ cups sliced rhubarb 1/2" slices, fresh or THAWED
• 2 cups thinly sliced onion (any color of onion works)
• 3 Tbsp fresh ginger peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 8 small bone-in chicken thighs 2 1/2-3 lbs

BAKING

• ¼ cup white wine
• ⅓ cup packed brown sugar

For Serving

• Cooked Basmati rice (optional)

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• Combine all ingredients up to the chicken in a large bowl. Add chicken and mix thoroughly.
• Transfer the mixture to a 9×13" baking dish, keeping the chicken in a single layer, skin-side up. Add wine and sprinkle with brown sugar.
• Bake the chicken, basting once or twice, for 60 minutes, until chicken temp reaches 175-180 F. (165 is safe, but I prefer 180 for the best flavor and texture in this recipe)
• MEANWHILE, if you are making rice or sides, while the chicken is baking is the best time to do those.
• Turn off oven and put the pan under the broiler to crisp up the skin and char the veggies a bit. Keep an eye on this so it does not burn.
• Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Using rhubarb that’s still frozen brings in too much liquid.  Thaw and drain it before using in this recipe.  

Ginger tip: Buy in bulk, and freeze the whole ginger roots.  These can be used straight from the freezer!

Keyword savory rhubarb

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