Cooking Around the World: Tava so Oriz {Macedonia}

Tava so Oriz 

(Macedonian Chicken Stew)

Ingredients

• 1 medium-sized chicken, skin on, cut into legs, breasts, etc.
• 6 C organic chicken stock
• Root Vegetables: 2 carrots, 1 parsnip, 2 leeks
• 1 parsley root, ½ celery root, 1 leek
• 1 bell pepper (I used a yellow one)
• freshly ground salt and pepper
• 2 C short grain brown rice
• 1 pat of butter per person

Procedure
In a large soup pot, caramelize the leeks. Quickly brown the chicken to seal in the juices. Add in the stock and the vegetables. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the parsnips are tender. Add in the rice and cook for another 30-40 minutes - until the rice is soft.

Traditionally this is served with a side of melted butter that is poured over the stew. We gave it a try, but it was unnecessarily rich.

I will definitely make this again; it's the ultimate in comfort food!

I have no idea what is going through R's head as he gnawed on the chicken bones...maybe he was thinking about our next country: Madagascar.

But before we go, here's some information about Macedonia...

Macedonia is located in southeastern Europe, north of Greece. Completely landlocked, Macedonia is about the size of Vermont. Macedonia gained its independence, peacefully, from Yugoslavia in 1991, but Greece objected to the new state's use of what it considered a Hellenic name; so it was officially designated as "the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia." In 1995, the United Nations began referring to Macedonia by its constitutional name, Republic of Macedonia.

Fun Facts

• Their toilet paper is scented. 
• Sidewalks are used for driving and parking, not for walking.
• They don't use cents.  Everything is rounded up to the nearest Denar.
• They come over unannounced and at any time, so you must always be prepared.