This was one of those times when I picked up a few odd ingredients and decided to make a meal using them. In this instance, the ingredients were black (or “forbidden”) rice and jarred sour cherries. I already had a bottle of sour cherry nectar I hadn’t opened, so I added that to my list as well and got concocting. It’s a sweet/spicy combination that I almost always enjoy, so I wasn’t surprised that this was a winner. My understanding is that this is very similar to a Persian dish.

Sour Cherry Chicken with Black Rice

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into medallions

1 c. black rice

2 c. chicken stock or prepared buillon

1 onion, chopped

1 tbsp curry powder

1 tsp salt

1 c. sour cherry nectar

1 c. water

jarred, pitted sour cherries

1 tbsp canola oil

In a medium saucepan, prepare black rice using chicken stock or buillon as you would any type of rice, adding more liquid if necessary. Black rice is a whole grain, so will take a bit longer than a hulled white rice to cook. In a larger pot, heat canola oil. Add onions and salt, and saute until translucent. Then, add curry powder and chicken. Brown chicken before adding sour cherry nectar and water. Cook down until chicken is tender and water has mostly evaporated, leaving behind a rich sauce. Serve over black rice and garnish with whole, pitted cherries.