There is something so comforting about chicken and rice. The butter and gentle spices lift the otherwise bland background – a really simple but impressive dish.
Golden Chicken Pilaf – to serve 4
- 50g butter
- 4 skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
- 2 onions, sliced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 5 cardamom pods, lightly bruised
- 4 whole cloves
- 500g chicken stock mixed with a large pinch of saffron (from a cube is fine)
- 300g basmati rice
- a handful of roughly chopped coriander
Heat half the butter in a large wide pan with a lid. Brown the chicken in batches and set aside. Add the rest of the butter then tip in the onions and cook really slowly until tender and golden brown (around 10 minutes).
Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the cinnamon, cardamom pods and cloves and cook for a minute. Add the chicken stock and chicken pieces, pour in the rice and stir well.
Cover tightly (if the lid isn’t tight, put a sheet of foil underneath) and cook on a really low heat for another 15-20 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Scatter the coriander over before serving.
(Original recipe from BBC Olive, August 2007)
Any recipe which uses the words ‘gentle’ & ‘spices’ in the same sentence, gets my vote. Will be doing.this one.
Thanks Colette – we’d love to hear what you think of it. Jono and Julie.