Tbit – Iraqi Chicken Stuffed with Rice for Shabbat

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Fried onion

1. 1
   Rinse the rice in cold water until the water runs clear, soak 30 minutes and drain.

   Colander

   💡Rinsing removes the starch from the surface of the grains: the rice comes out fluffy and separate, not sticky.

   💡Soaking shortens the cooking, and the grains cook evenly.
2. 2
   Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStovePot
3. 3
   Add the onion and fry, stirring, until the onion turns golden.

   ⚙ 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.

To assemble

1. 4
   Add the tomatoes and the tomato paste and cook 5 minutes, until softened.

   Stove
2. 5
   Add the rice and the turmeric, cumin and baharat and stir 2 minutes, until all the grains are coated in tomato.
3. 6
   Fill the cavity of the chicken with the mixture, not all the way, because the rice will still swell.
4. 7
   Set the chicken in a heavy pot, and arrange the eggs in their shells and the rest of the mixture around it.

   Cast-iron pot
5. 8
   Add the water, season with salt and black pepper and bring to a boil.

   Stove
6. 9
   Turn down to low, cover and simmer 8-10 hours without opening the lid, until the liquid is absorbed.

   ⚙ SimmeringStoveLid

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
7. 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.
8. 11
   Gently fluff with a fork, transfer to a serving plate and arrange the chicken on top and serve with the eggs.