Curried Chicken with Rice

Prepare the chicken by sprinkling thyme, kosher salt, and black pepper evenly over its surface.

Heat a generous amount of oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over extremely high heat. Carefully place chicken pieces, skin-side down, in the hot oil and cook until it develops a golden brown color, taking anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate; discard any remaining oil.

Reduce the heat to a moderate level and add some crispy bacon bits to the Dutch oven. Cook and stir constantly until the bacon turns a deep brown color, requiring about 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and chop it into smaller pieces.

Sauté sliced onions, celery, bell peppers, and minced garlic in the Dutch oven over a moderate heat until they become soft and tender, approximately 10 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes, 3/4 cup of the reserved tomato liquid, currants, raisins, curry powder, butter, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper; bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to a low level, cover the Dutch oven with a lid, and let it simmer until the sauce thickens, taking about 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to a moderate temperature of 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

Return the chicken to the Dutch oven and spoon the sauce over its surface. Cover the Dutch oven with a lid.

Bake in the preheated oven until the chicken becomes tender, taking about 1 hour. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

Press a generous amount of rice into a small bowl and invert it onto a plate to remove excess rice. Set 2 pieces of chicken on the rice and spoon some sauce over the top. Repeat this process with the remaining rice, chicken, and sauce. Garnish each serving with crispy bacon bits, currants, peanuts, and parsley.