Last night I made our clay-pot version of baked chicken and rice, in which I replace the Arborio called for in the original recipe with brown rice. It took me a while to figure it out, but the brown rice comes out perfect if you parboil it for about ten minutes before putting it in the pot.

This technique involves a cooking vessel made of unglazed terra cotta. Ours is the type called a Romertopf.

Essential ingredients are rice, chicken stock, onion, bone-in chicken parts, salt, pepper and thyme. The advanced class may choose also to add lemon juice or white wine (dry vermouth works well), garlic, mushrooms, bell pepper, and Old Bay seasoning.

Put the clay pot in the sink to soak for at least 15 minutes, but half an hour is better. While it is soaking, parboil one cup of brown rice in two cups of chicken stock, smash the garlic, and dice the onion, mushrooms and pepper.

When the pot has finished soaking, put the parboiled rice with its stock in the bottom. Add the lemon juice or wine, the thyme, salt and pepper, and all the vegetables, and stir it all up. Lay the chicken pieces skin-side-up on top and sprinkle Old Bay seasoning all over them.

Put the lid on the clay pot and put it in the COLD oven. Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for about an hour, maybe a tick more.

This reliably delicious dish is both cheap and particularly nice in winter. It also reheats well.