Baghdadi Tbit – Stuffed Chicken over Rice with homemade chicken stock

👨‍🍳 Method

For the homemade chicken stock ✓ Homemade · or skip – back to store-bought

1. 1
   Put the chicken, the onion, carrot, celery, parsley, bay leaves and peppercorns and the water in a pot and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam that rises during the first 15 minutes with a spoon.

   StovePot
2. 2
   Turn down and simmer gently 2.5–3 hours.

   Stove

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
3. 3
   Strain the stock.

   Colander

For the Fried meat

1. 4
   Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat.

   StovePot
2. 5
   Add the onion and fry, stirring, until the onion turns golden.

   Stove

   💡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. 6
   Add the garlic and fry about 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant. Don't let the garlic brown.

   Stove

   💡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. 7
   Raise the heat to medium-high and add the meat. Press it flat over the bottom and leave it for 2–3 minutes without stirring, until a brown crust forms.

   Stove

   💡Brown ground beef in the pot without pressing it: leave it as one 'cake' for a few minutes until a brown crust forms, then break it into chunks. Deep browning = deep flavor.
5. 8
   Break it up with a wooden spoon and fry for 5–7 more minutes, stirring, until no pink is left and the meat browns.

   StoveWooden spoon
6. 9
   Add the baharat, cinnamon, salt and black pepper and stir well.

   Stove

To assemble

1. 10
   Add the rice and the turmeric and stir 2 minutes, until all the grains are coated in fat.
2. 11
   Fill the cavity of the chicken with about half the mixture and close the opening with toothpicks.

   Toothpick
3. 12
   Spread the rest of the mixture in the bottom of a heavy pot and set the chicken on top.

   Cast-iron pot
4. 13
   Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.

   Stove
5. 14
   Turn down to low, cover and simmer 1.5-2 hours without opening the lid, until the chicken is completely tender.

   StoveLid
6. 15
   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.
7. 16
   Gently fluff with a fork, transfer to a serving plate and arrange the chicken on top, sprinkle the almonds and pine nuts on top and serve.