Persian rice layered with chicken, pistachios and pomegranate
Serves: 6
Prep time: 35 mins Cooking time: 1 hour 30 mins
Ingredients
300g basmati rice
200g feta
Vegetable oil
2 onions, diced
6 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
Pinch of saffron
30g pomegranate seeds
100g pistachios, shelled and roughly chopped
Sea salt
3 tablespoons plain yogurt
3 tablespoons butter
Method
Step 1
Heat a good splash of vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet and cook the onions over medium heat for 18-20 mins until golden and crispy. Once done, remove from the pan and set aside.
Step 2
Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and a splash of vegetable oil to the cast iron skillet and cook the diced chicken thighs for 6-8 mins or until golden and cooked through. Once done, remove from the pan and set aside. Clean your skillet.
Step 3
Fill a large stockpot with 3 litres of water, season heavily with sea salt (this is your only chance to season the rice, so make sure you use A LOT of salt, you want the water to be as salty as seawater.)
Bring to a boil over high heat.
In the meantime, place rice in a bowl and rinse with cold water, swirling and changing the water at least five times, until the starch has run off and the water has become clear.
Drain the rice.
Step 4
Once the water comes to a boil, add the rice and cook for 6-8 mins, until it is just al dente.
Drain the rice into a sieve and immediately rinse with cold water to stop the rice from cooking further.
Remove 1 cup of the cooked rice and mix it with the yogurt. Set this aside.
Step 5
Cut a circle piece of baking paper slightly larger than the bottom of your skillet. Scrunch it up and place it into the bottom of your pan.
Add the remaining butter, a good splash of vegetable oil and the saffron to the pan and heat on medium until the butter is melted.
Step 6
Once the butter is melted, spread the 1 cup of yogurt rice across the bottom of the pan in an even layer.
Now scatter across half the cooked chicken, half the onions, 1/3 of the feta, 1/3 of the chopped pistachios and 1/3 of the pomegranate seeds.
Cover this in a layer of rice. Repeat in layers, finishing with a layer of plain rice on the top. Ensure you set aside a handful of onions, feta, pistachios and pomegranate seeds to decorate the finished dish.
Step 7
Poke 6 holes in the rice to the bottom of the pan, this will ensure the steam can escape and the bottom will become golden and crispy. Cook uncovered over a medium heat for 15 mins, rotating the pan a quarter turn every 3-4 mins to ensure even browning.
Step 8
After 15 mins, wrap the lid in a clean tea towel, cover and cook on a very low heat for 35 mins, continuing to rotate the pan a quarter turn every 5 mins or so.
After 35 mins, remove from the heat and uncover. Leave to rest for 15 mins, then carefully turn out onto a platter or large chopping board.
Remove the baking paper and you should have a nice golden crust.
Scatter over the remaining onions, feta, pistachios and pomegranate seeds.
Serve.
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