Rice With Chicken - {Ruzz Bi'L-Dujaj}

Recipe Ingredients

4 lbs	1816g / 64oz	Chicken - rinsed, patted dry
		Salt - to taste
		Freshly-ground black pepper - to taste
1		Onion
1		Whole clove
1		Cinnamon stick
2 tablespoons	30ml	Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup	46g / 1.6oz	Blanched whole almonds
1/2 cup	118ml	Pine nuts
3 tablespoons	45ml	Clarified butter
1/4 lb	113g / 4oz	Ground lamb
3/4 teaspoon	3.8ml	Ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon	2.5ml	Ground allspice
2 cups	320g / 11oz	Long-grain rice
		Plain yogurt - for garnish
		Arab flat bread (Khubz arabi) - or pita bread

Recipe Instructions

Rinse rice well or soak in water to cover for 30 minutes and drain. Set aside until needed.

Season chicken with salt and pepper inside and out. Place untrussed chicken in large pot in water to cover with onion studded with clove and with cinnamon stick. Season again with salt and pepper. Bring to just under a boil over medium heat, reducing heat if necessary so water does not boil. Simmer until meat is almost falling off bone, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (Boiling will toughen chicken.)

Drain chicken, reserving 3 cups broth and saving rest for another use. (If desired, you can reduce amount of fat by refrigerating broth 1 hour until fat congeals on top and then skimming it off.) Remove and discard skin from chicken, then remove meat from bones in large pieces. Set aside and keep warm.

In small skillet, warm oil over medium heat, then cook almonds until golden, stirring, about 10 minutes. Be careful they do not burn. Add pine nuts and cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes more. Set nuts aside.

In large, heavy saucepan or casserole with tight-fitting lid, melt clarified butter over medium-high heat and cook ground lamb seasoned with cinnamon, allspice and salt to taste and 1/2 teaspoon pepper until no longer pink, about 4 minutes, breaking it up with a fork.

Add rice and continue cooking 2 minutes, stirring. Add 2 1/4 cups broth, bring to boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to very low. Cover and cook until grains are tender, fluffy and separate, 15 to 20 minutes.

If rice is still al dente, add some boiling chicken broth and continue cooking. Do not stir rice and do not uncover except to check once.

Arrange rice on platter, cover with nuts and lay chicken pieces on top or along sides. Serve with yogurt and Arab bread.

This recipe yields 4 to 6 servings.

Each of 6 servings, chicken and rice only: 837 calories; 230 mg sodium; 142 mg cholesterol; 50 grams fat; 56 grams carbohydrates; 41 grams protein; 0.73 gram fiber.

Source:
The Los Angeles Times, 10-13-1999

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