Chicken Gruel

Ingredients:

• A couple of pounds of chicken – I use thighs because they’re cheap
• An onion
• A stalk of celery
• Six or ten cloves of garlic
• Some oil
• Salt, pepper
• Rice (brown rice is best but white works too)

Directions:

(1)    Dice the opinion, celery, and garlic. Heat oil over a medium heat in a big pot, and cook the vegetables for about five minutes. Add six or seven cups of water. Add about a tsp of salt and a tsp of pepper.

(2)    Wash and dry the chicken (dry with paper towels) and then add to the water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover with a tight lid and cook for maybe 30 minutes.

(3)    Turn off heat and allow broth to cool completely. Pull out the chicken and debone it. Return meat to the pot, add a cup and a half of rice, and return to a boil.

(4)    Simmer, covered, until the rice is tender. Stir frequently and add more water as necessary. Season to taste and eat up. Good with toast.

You can add dried mushrooms or frozen peas to this if you like. More rice if you want it more gruel-y, less if you like it soupy.