Chicken With Saffron Jeweled Rice Recipes

CHICKEN WITH SAFFRON JEWELED RICE

Steps:

• Heat half the butter in a large frying pan.
• Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, Remove to plate.
• Heat remaining butter in the pan and add the chicken.
• Cook, turning occasionally, until brown all over and half cooked or more. Remove to plate.
• Add the dried cranberries & chopped dates to the pan and sprinkle with the icing sugar.
• Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
• Return onion and browned chicken to the pan.
• Add drained rice, water as needed, I'd use just under 2 cups, use the amount you would usually to cook rice. Add the orange zest, coarsely grated carrot, saffron, cumin, cinnamon, cracked cardamom pods, sea salt, to taste and stir to combine.
• Increase heat to high to bring to the boil.
• Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 15-20 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
• Remove from heat and set aside, covered, for 5 minutes to rest.
• Use a fork to fluff the rice.
• Add half of the toasted almonds and pistachios and stir through the rice.
• Transfer to a serving platter.
• Sprinkle with remaining pistachios, almonds, and rose water if using.
• Arrange lime wedges around dish.
• Serve immediately.
• Avoid actually eating the cardamom pods.

SAFFRON JEWEL RICE

Steps:

• Sprinkle the saffron into 1/4 cup hot water; let sit 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine 2 cups water, the sugar and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the orange zest and carrot, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl; set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, cinnamon stick, cardamom, allspice, cumin and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the rice and 3/4 teaspoon salt and stir to coat. Add 3 cups water, increase the heat to medium high and simmer until the water has mostly evaporated, about 4 minutes. Cover the pot with foil and the lid, reduce the heat to low and cook until the water is completely absorbed, about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pistachios and almonds and cook until just lightly golden, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add the dried cranberries and apricots, and 1 tablespoon of the prepared saffron water; stir to combine, then transfer to a bowl and set aside for topping.
• Uncover the rice and fluff with a fork; discard the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods. Transfer about half of the rice to a serving bowl. Add the remaining saffron water, 1 tablespoon butter and the reserved orange peel and carrot to the rice in the pot and stir gently. Add the yellow rice to the white rice and gently toss; sprinkle with the pistachio mixture and parsley.

JEWELED RICE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Spread pistachios on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until just beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate, let cool, then coarsely chop. Spread almonds on the same baking sheet and toast until golden brown, 5-8 minutes; let cool. Set nuts aside.
• Place rice in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold water until water runs clear. Cook rice in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until grains have lengthened but are still firm, 6-7 minutes; drain and rinse under cold water. Spread rice on another rimmed baking sheet; let cool.
• Meanwhile, using a vegetable peeler, remove zest from orange and thinly slice lengthwise (reserve flesh for another use). Bring sugar and 1 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add orange zest and carrots, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender, 15-20 minutes; drain and set aside (discard syrup).
• Combine barberries and raisins in a small bowl and cover with hot water; let soak 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. Place saffron in another small bowl and add 1/4 cup hot water; set aside.
• Heat butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, season with salt, and cook, stirring often, until soft and beginning to brown, 8-10 minutes. Add cardamom, cumin, turmeric, and 1 tablespoon saffron mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Reduce heat to low, add barberries and raisins, and cook, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Stir in reserved nuts and orange zest and carrot mixture; season with salt. Set fruit and nut mixture aside.
• Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large wide heavy pot over medium heat. Add half of rice, spreading evenly; top with fruit and nut mixture, then remaining rice, spreading evenly. Using the end of a wooden spoon, poke 5-6 holes in rice all the way through to bottom of pot (to help release steam and help rice cook evenly).
• Drizzle remaining saffron mixture over rice. Place a clean kitchen towel over pot, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and secure loose edges of towel on top of lid, using a rubber band or masking tape.
• Cook until pot begins to steam, 5-8 minutes. Reduce heat to very low and cook, without stirring, until rice is tender and bottom layer of rice is browned and crisp, 30-40 minutes.
• Scoop rice into a wide serving bowl, breaking bottom crust into pieces.
• DO AHEAD: Fruit and nut mixture can be made 2 days ahead. Cover fruit and nut mixture and remaining saffron mixture separately and chill.

SWEET JEWELED RICE

Steps:

• sauté the chicken in 2 T of butter, turning over and sprinkling with salt till browned but still juicy inside.
• Cut each slice into about 6 pieces.
• wash the rice in warm water and rinse in colander under the cold tap.
• Soak the sour cherries, cranberries and barberries in water for 15 minutes.
• Throw the drained rice in plenty of boiling salted water in a large pan and boil for about 10 minutes until partly cooked and still a little firm, then drain.
• Heat 2 T butter in bottom of the pan and stir in the saffron.
• Spread alternate layers of rice, chicken pieces and the rest of the ingredients, ending with rice and sprinkling lightly with salt.
• Add the remaining butter or oil over the top at the end.
• Put the lid on and steam on the lowest heat for about 20-30 minutes or until the rice is tender.