26. Chicken Turn-Over

I got this idea from The Iraqi Cookbook by Lamees Ibrahim, which you can buy from Amazon (my version has a different cover because it is the first edition). I say idea and not recipe because I depended on the picture rather than the description of the recipe to make it because there were inconsistencies between them.

For instance, the recipe says to boil the chicken, period. Whereas the picture shows golden brown chicken, which can only be achieved by frying.

All in all, despite the inconsistencies, I loved the book. But buyers beware, you need a good knowledge of cooking if not specifically Iraqi cooking to make this book of use to you.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup blanched almonds, fried to golden brown
450g chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into short strips
vegetable oil
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 onion, chopped finely
2 cups rice, washed
2 tsp cardamom powder
5 cloves
2 tsp sumac
salt and pepper

Method:

In a deep oven-safe dish (I used a Pyrex bowl), scatter the fried almonds., set aside.

In a pot, heat 3 Tbsp oil over medium high heat, add the cardamom and cloves, stir until fragrant.
Add the rinsed rice, 1 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper, stir 1-2 minutes longer.
Pour boiling water just until the rice is covered by an extra half centimeter.
Cover immediately and lower the heat to low. Leave 20 minutes until rice is cooked and water is absorbed.

While the rice is cooking, heat 3-4 Tbsp oil in a pan over medium high heat.
When the oil is hot, add the chicken, spreading it to a single layer so it will get browned evenly.
Sprinkle with the cinnamon, salt and pepper.
Toss form time to time to brown all sides.
The chicken should be browned and cooked within 15 minutes or so, because the pieces are small.
When cooked, remove from heat and sprinkle with the sumac.

To assemble, evenly scatter the chicken over the almonds, then top with the cooked rice.
Press lightly with the back of a spoon on the rice to compress the lot.
Cover with foil and place in a warm oven for 15 minutes.

To serve, invert the bowl on a plate and carefully remove to preserve the shape.

 صحة و عافية