Maqluba 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 Maqluba (Upside-Down Rice)

1. 4
   Rinse the rice and Soak at least 20 minutes in water and drain.

   Bowl

   💡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. 5
   Heat the oil in a skillet.

   StoveFrying pan
3. 6
   Add the cauliflower florets and fry, until partly golden. Sprinkle the salt and turmeric over them. Remove and set aside.

   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.
4. 7
   Add the onion and fry, until golden and crisp. Remove and set aside.

   Stove
5. 8
   Heat the oil in a wide pot and toast the almonds and raisins in it. Add the cumin, turmeric, cinnamon and salt and stir.

   StoveWide, shallow pot
6. 9
   Layer on top of them the cauliflower, and finally the drained rice.

   Wide, shallow pot

   💡The bottom layer will be the top after flipping: arrange it neatly and tightly, and the rice above it holds everything together.
7. 10
   Add the hot chicken stock to 1 cm above the rice, and bring to a boil.

   Stove
8. 11
   Turn down' the heat to very low', cover and simmer 18 minutes.

   StoveLid
9. 12
   Let the pot stand covered off the heat 10 minutes, then flip it confidently onto a large serving platter, scatter the fried onion on top.

   LidServing platter

   💡Resting off the heat firms up the rice, so the maqluba comes out whole.