Persian Saffron Rice with a Whole Chicken

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Roast Chicken

1. 1
   Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Mix the garlic, turmeric and black pepper and rub the mixture into the chicken.

   💡Dry the chicken before seasoning so the mixture clings to the skin; a longer marinade gives deeper color and flavor.
2. 2
   Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F).

   ⚙ Preheating the OvenOven

   💡Put things in the oven only once it's reached temperature, after the heating light has gone off: an oven that hasn't reached temperature changes baking times, and the bake burns outside or stays underbaked.
3. 3
   Place the chicken in the center of the pan, breast side up.

   Baking pan
4. 4
   Bake uncovered 60 minutes, until the skin is browned and blistered in spots and the juices run clear.

   ⚙ BakingOvenBaking pan

   💡Check by the cue (until…), not just the clock: every oven bakes a little differently.

To assemble

1. 5
   Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Soak 30 minutes in salted water and drain.

   ⚙ SoakingBowl

   💡Soak in plenty of water, well above what's being soaked: legumes and grains swell and drink water, and whatever sticks out stays hard. Drain well before continuing.
2. 6
   Cook the rice in boiling salted water for 5 minutes, until the grain is soft outside and firm in the center, and drain.

   ⚙ Cooking in salted waterStoveWide, shallow potColander

   💡Only parboil: the grain finishes cooking in the steam, and rice cooked all the way turns sticky in the pot.

   💡The water should taste like a seasoned soup, not like sea water: a heaping teaspoon of salt per liter. Add the salt once the water is boiling.
3. 7
   Put the saffron in the hot water and soak for 10 minutes.
4. 8
   Heat the oil' in a wide, shallow pot' over high heat.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStoveWide, shallow pot
5. 9
   Mix the egg with half of the rice and press it into the bottom of the pot in an even layer. Mound the rest of the rice on top in a dome and season with salt. Dot the top with pieces of the butter and scatter the raisins. Pour half of the saffron water over the top.
6. 10
   Turn down to low heat, cover with a towel and the lid and simmer 40 minutes.

   ⚙ SimmeringStoveLid

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
7. 11
   Invert the rice onto a serving platter, golden crust up, and garnish with almonds. Serve with the roast chicken.

   Serving platter