Chicken and rice is a simple, but delicious meal that is commonly served in households throughout Bulgaria. When my mother came to visit in June, this was her favourite dish, which was given to her at the countless dinners we attended. My taste buds also adore chicken and rice, so I investigated this recipe for my mother and faithful readers.

Why am I writing about a dish that is so simple to make? Well, my cooking weakness is that I can't make rice properly. Superman has his green kryptonite, and I have my rice. Every time I make it, it is too sticky, too wet, or not completely done. Fluffy, non-stick rice always eluded me and left me screaming and cursing at my stove. My bad rice was given to the armadillo at my grandmother's house in the States, while the stray dogs received bad rice in Balchik.

Admitting defeat, I asked my colleagues for advice, and they shared their secrets. They almost never use the stove burners for rice and looked at me as if I had completely lost my mind. I know my colleagues thought that the American is doing something completely stupid, and they must help him or he will starve. Their method is to bake the rice in the oven at about 175°C, and add a little oil. Baking time varies, based on how your oven works and how much rice you cook.

Please remember that my oven is possessed by evil gremlins determined to destroy whatever I prepare.

Another tip my colleagues gave me was to put a chicken bouillon cube for every half-litre of water that you add to the rice. Mushroom and vegetable bouillon cubes can be substituted for chicken. Another idea is to add seven or eight finely chopped mushrooms into the mixture.

The chicken section of this recipe came from my landlady. My chicken is tender, but it can't compare to her's. She uses a mixture of water and oil, and then adds salt, black pepper, and mild red pepper. Do not use really hot pepper, as my red hot pepper from the States would turn this chicken into a raging fire. The measurements of the water/oil mixture are not specific, but I tried to interpret the rocket science of this component for the good of humanity.

I am now proud to say that I can cook chicken and rice without technical difficulties. I am invincible to kryptonite. The stray dogs may be hungrier, but I don't think they ever ate that bad rice. They prefer sirene and kashkaval in my town.

Rice

1 part rice, 2 parts water (amount depends on personal preference)
1 tablespoon of oil for every 225 grams of rice
Optional: one bouillon cube dissolved into water for every half-litre of water
Optional: 6-7 diced, fresh mushrooms for every 225 grams of rice

Place rice, water, and oil mixture into a greased/non-stick pan, then add mushrooms. Bake at 175°C until done. Stir occasionally. My oven takes about 30 minutes to do this, but my oven is abnormal.

Chicken

Wash about 1 kilogram of chicken with water and put into a large pan. Using your knowledge of rocket science, pour about 50ml of oil into the pan, then add water until there's about 2-3cm of fluid in the pan. Then add about one teaspoon each of black pepper and mild red pepper to the chicken and into the mixture. Another option is to add one teaspoon garlic powder. Bake at 175°C for about one hour and five minutes, or until chicken is done.

Joseph Herr is a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer currently working in Balchik. His column appears weekly and he can be contacted at jdherr75@sabreshockey.com.