scarlet letter chicken with quinoa

I had a mason jar full of quinoa in the fridge for... I don't know, a year. But after making this dish a couple of times, and then trying variations of it a few times, all my quinoa is gone. Must buy more.

scarlet letter chicken with quinoa

from my friend's cookbook that I can't quite remember the name of -- I think it was called The New Grains

serves 4

1 chicken (3 1/2 - 4lb), cut into pieces

1 garlic clove, bruised

salt and pepper

2 Tbs unsalted butter

1 1/2 teas vegetable oil

1 large shallot, finely chopped

2 Tbs red wine vinegar

2 ripe medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1/2 C home-made or low-sodium chicken stock

1/2 C quinoa

1 teas chopped fresh tarragon

1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley

Rub chicken with garlic and season with salt and pepper. Heat butter and oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute the chicken pieces until well browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of the drippings from the skillet. Add the shallot and saute, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon as it cooks (so much flavour in those browned bits!) Return chicken pieces back to skillet and sprinkle with vinegar, cooking until the juices have almost evaporated. Add tomatoes to the pan. Pour the stock over the chicken and heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for about 30 minutes.

Rinse quinoa under cold water. Drain. Add the quinoa to the juices around the chicken. Continue to cook, covered, until the quinoa is tender (10-15 mins). Sprinkle with fresh tarragon and parsley. Serve.