Ingredients: |
Ingredients: CHICKEN:
1 chicken, about 2 pounds, with excess
fat removed
1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
RICE:
3 cups long-grain basmati rice
3 medium seedless Japanese or Italian eggplants
1/2 cup oil
2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup dried barberries (or cranberries or grapes) cleaned and washed
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds
2 tablespoons orange zest (3 oranges)
1 teaspoon ground saffron dissolved in
1/4 cup water
1 cup butter or oil
3 egg yolks
2 cups plain yogurt
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Directions: |
Directions:Place the chicken, onion, salt, pepper, turmeric, and lime juice in a medium-sized saucepan. Do not add water. Cover and simmer for 1 hour over low heat. Bone the chicken and cut into pieces. Set aside, reserving juices. To cook the rice: Clean and wash 3 cups rice 5 times in warm water. It is then desirable but not essential to soak the rice in 8 cups water with 2 tablespoons salt for at least 2 hours. Peel and cut eggplants lengthwise in V-inch-thick slices. To remove bitterness from the eggplants, place slices in a container, cover with water, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt, let stand for 20 minutes, drain, and rinse with cold water. Blot dry thoroughly. Heat 4 tablespoons oil In a wide skillet over medium heat and brown eggplant slices. Remove eggplant and set aside. Add 2 tablespoons oil to the same skillet and brown the onions. Remove the onions from the skillet and set aside. In the same skillet, heat 2 tablespoon oil, add the barberries and sugar, and stir fry for 1 minute (beware, barberries burn easily; do not overcook). Add the cumin, orange zest, 1 tablespoon saffron water, and stir-fry for 20 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside. Bring 8 cups water and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil in a large, non-stick pot. Pour the washed and drained rice into the pot. Boil briskly for 6 minutes, gently stirring twice to loosen any grains that may have stuck to the bottom. Drain rice in a large, fine-mesh colander and rinse with 2 or 3 cups water. Place the oven rack in the middle. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Melt V cup butter in a 4-quart, Pyrex dish. Spread the butter evenly over the base and sides of the dish. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks, yogurt, 2 tablespoons saffron-water, and 4 full spatulas of the rice. Place this rice mixture in the ovenproof dish. Arrange chicken pieces on top. Spread the barberry mixture over the chicken (reserve 2 tablespoons of the barberries for the garnish). Arrange a few slices of eggplant-onion mixture on top (reserve 2 slices of eggplant for the garnish). Cover with remaining rice and pack down using a rubber spatula. Pour remaining butter, saffron-water and chicken juice over the top of the rice. Cover with a layer of oiled parchment paper and a layer of aluminum foil on top, and press down evenly with your hands (this will help the unmolding process later on). Seal tightly around the rim so that steam cannot escape. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the crust is golden brown (a glass ovenproof dish allows you to see through). Remove the dish from oven (do not uncover) and allow to cool for 15 minutes on a damp surface. Uncover and loosen the rice around the edges of the dish with the point of a knife. Place a serving platter (larger than the rice mold) on top of the dish. Hold the dish and platter firmly together and turn over in a single motion with a jolt to unmold the rice. Allow to rest for a moment, then gently lift the ovenproof dish. Garnish with the reserved eggplant slices and spoon barberries on top of the rice. Serve hot. |
Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: My roommate in college learned this dish from her Iranian grandmother and then taught it to me. It's a difficult recipe to master, but the result is well worth it. The rice, cooked correctly, develops a golden crust against the inside edges of the bowl. When finished, the bowl is flipped over onto a plate, revealing a beautiful crusted-rice loaf filled with delicious chicken and vegetables.
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This recipe for Persian Oven-baked Rice is from