Iraqi Chicken with Rice
Recipe Ingredients:
- 2-3 onions, sliced very thin
- 1/4 cup kisan canola cooking oil
- 10 pc cloves
- 1 tsp cardamom
- 1 tsp Arabic mixed spice
- 1 chicken, quartered
- 1/4 cup barberries (zarshk)
- 1 1/2 cups rice
- 2 tsp sugar
- salt and pepper
- 1/3 cup parsley, chopped
Recipe Method:
- First, over medium-high heat saute the onion in the kisan oil until golden and caramelized (a good 15 to 20 minutes).
- Spoon the onion out of the pot and set aside.
- Add the cardamom, cloves, and Arabic spice to the remaining oil in the same pot.
- Salt and pepper the chicken quarters (about one flat teaspoon salt and a good grinding of pepper) and add them skin side down.
- Sear for a good five minutes, turn over, and sear again.
- Remove the chicken from the pot, place in an oven-proof dish, and bake uncovered at 400F for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, make the rice.
- To the pan drippings of the same pot, add the rinsed and drained rice, the rinsed and drained barberries, and the caramelized onions.
- Add a teaspoon of salt and two teaspoons of sugar. Stir well.
- Add enough boiled water just to cover the rice by a finger's width, cover immediately and reduce heat to low.
- Rice will be ready within half an hour.
- To serve, stir the chopped parsley into the cooked rice and immediately spoon into the serving dish.
- Arrange the cooked chicken pieces over the rice and serve.