Cookbook Challenge: Week 11, Mixed
Recipe: Persian jewelled rice with chicken
From: The Jewish Kitchen by Clarissa Hyman
The theme for this week’s Cookbook Challenge is “mixed”, which is a fairly open theme. I had a few ideas for things I could do for this week. I thought that I could make something that had different textures, or a dish that had a mixture of sweet and savoury. I also thought about making something that needed a mixer as part of the preparation, or cooking something that involved mixed berries.
In the end, I decided to do this Persian jewelled rice with chicken. It fits into the “mixed” theme, because the dish has a mixture of dried fruit, as well as being a mixture of sweet and savoury.
I had great intentions of cooking this dish in the late afternoon, so that by the time it was cooked, it would still be bright enough to take photos, and then I could exercise before dinner (it’s habit, I must exercise at the same time on my exercise days otherwise it doesn’t happen!). My good intentions were almost dashed by the fact that I ended up having a nana nap on the couch for a couple of hours….. and by the time I got off the couch, the cool change had kicked in and storm clouds had gathered over the house, cutting out a lot of light.
Fortunately, I didn’t need as much time as I had thought to cook the dish, and there was still enough light to take photos, despite the rain. Phew. Glad I didn’t end up regretting that nana nap, because really, is there anything better than a nap in the arvo??
The recipe itself was a bit of a kerfuffle. It seemed overly complicated for what is essentially cooked rice mixed with chopped up chicken and pieces of dried fruit. I did follow the recipe when making it, but it would be different if I were to do it my way. My way would involve cooking the rice by absorption method, and once cooked, mixing in the cooked chicken and dried fruit. It would be less complicated and take much less time!
I was a bit worried that the rice would end up far too sweet (check out the part where carrots are simmered in water and 200g of sugar!) but it was fine. With all the dried fruit, there were definite sweet parts to it, but not overly so. The nuts and the chicken helped balance it out.
I’m not sure that I would bother following the recipe again, although I did like the idea of the rice studded with bits of coloured fruit. Like I said, it seemed overly complicated and while it was tasty, it wasn’t tasty enough to be worth all that effort!
See previous Cookbook Challenge posts here
Update: See the round up for this week at My Food Trail.
Persian jewelled rice with chicken
From The Jewish Kitchen by Clarissa Hyman
Serves 6
500g basmati rice
1.5kg roasting chicken, jointed
salt
2 large onions, chopped
finely shredded rind of 1 large orange (I used lemon)
2 large carrots, cut into fine slivers
200g sugar
4 tablespoons sunflower oil
150g raisins
150g dried barberries or cherries (I used cranberries)
150g dried apricots, chopped into small pieces
a few strands of saffron, dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water (optional)
shredded almonds and chopped pistachios to garnish
Rinse the rice well, and leave it to soak in cold, salted water for a few hours.
In a non-stick pan, place the chicken and one of the chopped onions. Sprinkle in a little salt and then cover and cook over a very low heat (don’t add any water). Let it cook for about 45 minutes. The chicken will simmer in its own fat and juices. Cool, then bone and skin the chicken and cut into small pieces. Set aside, and reserve any juices from the chicken.
Next, place the orange rind, carrots and sugar in a pot, and cover with 300ml water. Boil for 10 minutes and then drain.
In a frying pan, cook the other onion in half the oil until translucent, then add the raisins, barberries and apricots. Cook for a few minutes, then add the orange and carrot mixture. Drain, and set aside.
In a large non-stick or heavy based saucepan, bring 1.5 litres of water to the boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt, and then add the drained rice. Bring it back to the boil and then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Let the rice simmer for 3 minutes and then drain. Rinse with tepid water and shake gently into the sieve to keep the grains separate. Set aside.
Wash out the pan, and add the rest of the oil. Swirl the oil around so it covers some of the sides as well as the bottom.
With your hands, sprinkle in a layer of rice (this helps to aerate it). Top the rice with some chicken, then fruit. Continue with the layers, trying to build up into a conical shape, and finish with a layer of rice. Poke a few holes through the rice with the end of a wooden spoon.
Drizzle over the reserved chicken juices, the remaining oil and the saffron. Cover the pot with a clean tea towel, then a tight lid, and cook for 1-2 minutes on a high heat. Then reduce the heat to very low and let it “steam” for a further 40 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and leave to stand for five minutes before lifting off the lid. Serve in a mound on a large platter, garnished with almonds and pistachios (I just mixed mine all through the rice).
penny aka jeroxie
January 31, 2010 @ 11:04 pm
I like this. Sweet and savory. I think it makes a very good summer dish. And the colours are amazing.
Vee - A Melbourne Munchkin.
February 1, 2010 @ 8:00 am
Such a pretty dish! Did you follow the recipe and make enough for 6? Because I'm not sure when I'll ever have a 1.5kg cooked chicken just lying around…but I do like the addition of nuts, must keep that in mind for future mixed rice dishes!
jfox
February 1, 2010 @ 8:26 am
love the idea of pistachios with the rice…
[i was nana napping just after the cool change yesterday =)]
imasugarjunkie
February 1, 2010 @ 12:15 pm
This looks really great and so colourful. Might be a good inspiration for a similar version perhaps!
Hannah
February 1, 2010 @ 1:01 pm
Including 200g of sugar in dinner is kind of awesome. I think I have to bow down to you and the recipe… though I think, if I was going to have a sweet dinner, I'd want it to involved ice cream, dulce de leche, and sprinkles. 😀
mademoiselle délicieuse
February 1, 2010 @ 6:13 pm
Haha, I think it's quite characteristic of Middle Eastern and North African cuisine to feature some sticky, sweet components. Still, 200g sugar… *faint!*
dining table
February 1, 2010 @ 7:17 pm
I would like to have this for a packed lunch. This is going to be my favorite if ever. I also like the colors!
chitchatchomp@yahoo.com.au
February 1, 2010 @ 9:21 pm
Your pictures turned out beautifully – very glittery. Love a good nana nap in the afternoon too.
Conor @ HoldtheBeef
February 2, 2010 @ 12:16 pm
Goddamn cool change!! Bad for food bloggers and tennis fans alike! *shakes fist at the sky*
Love this dish and love the name, 'tis truly jewelled. Somewhat alarmed at the 200g of sugar though… I wonder how much of that actually ends up in the carrots?
Iron Chef Shellie
February 2, 2010 @ 1:27 pm
Looks amazing! love the nuts in the rice
Maria@TheGourmetChallenge
February 3, 2010 @ 1:23 pm
it looks like such a lively dish, but I really think the sugar thing would have put me off.
Wish I could have nanna naps at work!!
Agnes
February 3, 2010 @ 9:01 pm
Penny:
Vee: Oh I halved the recipe – otherwise we would have been eating rice for days!
jfox: nana naps are the best thing ever, particularly on a hot day!
imasugarjunkie: Yep, definitely inspiration for a similar version – wouldn't try it this way again!
Hannah: hehee, I like your idea of a sweet dinner!
mademoiselle: I was quite surprised to see the amount of sugar, and considered cutting it down…. but then I figured I'd try it just this once!
dining table: thanks!
chitchatchomp: thanks! I was really in a hurry to get the rice photographed.
Shellie: The nuts were great in the rice – definitely needed, I think.
Conor: did you get rained on? I don't think *that* much sugar ends up in the carrots – you're supposed to drain them afterwards. Makes me wonder what the point was!
Maria: I figured I should follow the recipe at least once! Nana naps at work would be FANTASTIC.
Ange
February 5, 2010 @ 3:34 pm
Sounds delicious, I love dishes like this though I agree it does sound like a lot of work when there are similar dishes around that dont take quite as much effort
Rilsta @ My Food Trail
February 6, 2010 @ 8:20 am
I love all the different colours and textures – it really is a mixed dish! And such an interesting name too!
Nanna naps should be compulsory! 🙂
Cherrie Pie
February 7, 2010 @ 8:39 am
This dish is so colourful and the mixture of the sweet and savoury makes it perfect for this week's theme. Great job!
Agnes
February 8, 2010 @ 9:42 pm
Ange: the recipe was overly complicated, but it probably didn't help that it was quite hot and I was refusing to turn on the air con!
Rilsta: Wouldn't it be good to be able to take a nana nap every day?!
Cherrie: thanks!