Jerusalem: Chicken with Carmelized Onion & Cardamom Rice
When I shared the Basmati & Wild Rice with Chickpeas, Currants and Herbs recipe, I revealed that the best cookbook I own is Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi’s Jerusalem: A Cookbook. Over the last two or so years that I’ve owned the book, I’ve tried so many of it’s recipes and always loved the results. The resulting dishes are wholesome, nutritious and fragrant from fresh herbs and varied spices.
I still believe the beauty of these recipes is that they display how the chaos and contradictions of Jerusalem and its diverse culinary traditions have overlapped to create delicious dishes that belong to a particular sect and yet belong to everyone in the region. I have always believed that food can occasionally break down boundaries and bring people together. I know it’s a
stretch but I feel a small sense of hope when the authors’ state, “It’s a giant leap of faith, but we are happy to take it…to imagine that hummus will eventually bring Jerusalemites together, if nothing else will.”
stretch but I feel a small sense of hope when the authors’ state, “It’s a giant leap of faith, but we are happy to take it…to imagine that hummus will eventually bring Jerusalemites together, if nothing else will.”
While rice is not grown locally, it is a staple Palestinian grain and a basic ingredient of any ceremonial meal. This rice dish can be compared to an Indian or Pakistani biryani. It’s a one-pot meal that is flavored with herbs and spices used by both Israelis and Palestinians. Cooking the rice in a non-stick skillet using this method creates a bit of Iranian tadik (rice with a delicious brown crusty layer) that adds a magnificent textural element to the dish. Also this method, adds a wonderful meaty flavor to the rice, without using any stock. Instead of a classic raita that’s served with a biryani, this rice dish is served with a yogurt beaten with some extra virgin olive oil.
This hearty, healthy, well-balanced one-pot meal reminds us that food can bring people of varied cultures and traditions together.
Jerusalem: Chicken with Carmelized Onion & Cardamom Rice Recipe
Recipe Adapted from Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi
Yield: 3 servings
Time: Active 1 hour Inactive (Marination time): 1 hour
Recipe Adapted from Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi
Yield: 3 servings
Time: Active 1 hour Inactive (Marination time): 1 hour
Ingredients:
1½ tablespoons barberries or currants (See Notes)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large onion or 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
½ kg bone in chicken thighs or drumsticks (usually 4 pieces)
7-8 cardamom pods, bruised
7-8 cloves
1 long cinnamon stick, broken into 4 pieces
1 teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon cayenne or red chili powder
1 cup uncooked basmati rice
2 cups, boiling water
A generous pinch of good quality saffron
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
¼ cup dill, chopped
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1½ tablespoons barberries or currants (See Notes)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large onion or 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
½ kg bone in chicken thighs or drumsticks (usually 4 pieces)
7-8 cardamom pods, bruised
7-8 cloves
1 long cinnamon stick, broken into 4 pieces
1 teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon cayenne or red chili powder
1 cup uncooked basmati rice
2 cups, boiling water
A generous pinch of good quality saffron
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
¼ cup dill, chopped
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Yogurt Side (optional):
1½ cups low fat yogurt, beaten
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1½ cups low fat yogurt, beaten
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Notes:
- Barberries are tiny dried sweet-and-sour Iranian berries that can be found at specialty or Middle Eastern grocery stores. If you cannot get them, you can always use currants or tart dried cranberries. If you use barberries in this recipe then soak them in 4 tablespoons of hot water with 1 tablespoon of sugar dissolved in it for 10 minutes before using them.
Method:
- Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl and season with ¾ teaspoon salt and ¾ teaspoon black pepper. Add half the olive oil along, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, cumin and red chili powder. Use your hands to massage all the spices into the chicken. Set in the refrigerator for minimum 1 hour to marinate.
- Heat half the remaining olive oil on medium heat in a large non-stick skillet for which you have a lid. Add the onion and cook stirring occasionally, until the onion has turned a deep golden brown. Transfer the onion to a small bowl and set aside.
- In the same skillet on medium heat, sear the chicken for 3 minutes on each side. The chicken should be cooked just from the outside. Let the whole spices remain in the skillet, but set the chicken aside.
- Leaving the pan temperature on medium heat, add the rice, caramelized onions, 1 teaspoon salt, plenty of black pepper, and the drained barberries or currants. Stir well and return the seared chicken to the pan, pushing it into the rice.
- Stir the saffron into the boiling water (make sure it’s a rolling boil before you add it) and pour it over the chicken and rice. Cover and reduce the heat to the lowest temperature and cook for 30 minutes until the water is absorbed and the rice is fully cooked. Remove the pan from the heat, remove the lid and quickly place a clean kitchen towel over the pan and seal again with the lid. Leave undisturbed for 5 minutes. This ensures that the rice doesn’t get soggy from the steam.
- Remove the lid, add all the fresh herbs, check the salt and pepper, fluff the rice with a fork and serve immediately. You can serve this with a side of yogurt mixed with olive oil, dil, salt and pepper.
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