Traditional Iraqi Chicken and Rice

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Meat Browned in the Rice Pot

1. 1
   Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStoveLarge pot
2. 2
   Add the onion and fry 5–8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and translucent and starts to turn golden at the edges. If it browns too fast, lower the heat.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
3. 3
   Add the garlic and fry about 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant. Don't let the garlic brown.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Garlic burns quickly and turns bitter. Add it only after the onion has softened, over medium heat, and add the next ingredient as soon as it smells fragrant.
4. 4
   Add the hen and brown on all sides.

   Stove
5. 5
   Add the turmeric, cumin, paprika, cardamom, salt and black pepper and stir.

   Stove
6. 6
   Add the water and bring to a boil. Turn down to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes, until the hen softens.

   ⚙ SimmeringStoveLid

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
7. 7
   Remove the hen from the pot and set aside, leaving the stock in the pot.

   Slotted spoon

To assemble

1. 8
   Add the rice to the stock in the pot, bring to a boil and stir once. Arrange the hen on top of the rice.

   Stove
2. 9
   Turn down to low, cover and simmer 20–25 minutes without opening the lid, until the liquid is absorbed.

   ⚙ SimmeringStoveLid
3. 10
   Turn off the heat and leave covered 5–10 minutes.

   💡Don't open the lid during cooking: the steam is what cooks the top layer. A towel between the pot and the lid absorbs the drips, so the rice doesn't get soggy.
4. 11
   Toast the almonds and pine nuts in a skillet with the butter until golden.

   StoveFrying pan
5. 12
   Turn the pot out onto a serving platter, sprinkle the almonds and pine nuts on top and serve.