Middle Eastern-Style Spiced Chicken Pilaf 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 Meat Browned in the Rice Pot

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

   StovePot
2. 5
   Add the onion and fry for 10 minutes, 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 chicken and brown on all sides.

   Stove
4. 7
   Add the garlic, turmeric, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, salt and black pepper and stir.

   Stove

To assemble

1. 8
   Add the rice and stir 2 minutes, until all the grains are coated in fat.

   💡Fry the rice in fat before adding the liquid: each grain gets coated, and the grains don't stick together.
2. 9
   Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.

   Stove
3. 10
   Turn down to low, cover and simmer 20–25 minutes without opening the lid, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.

   StoveLid
4. 11
   Turn off the heat and leave covered 5 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.
5. 12
   Gently fluff with a fork and serve.