Saffron rice with chicken, fruit and walnuts
6 servings
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | cup | Boiling water |
| ¼ | cup | Currants |
| 6 | Pitted prunes cut in small pieces | |
| 12 | Pitted dates cut in small pieces | |
| 6 | Dried apricots cut in small pieces | |
| 6 | Dried peaches cut in small pieces | |
| ¼ | cup | Toasted walnuts coarsely chopped |
| The Versatile Grain | ||
| and the | ||
| Elegant Bean | ||
| by Sheryl and Mel London | ||
| ISBN 0-671-76106-4 | ||
| pg 184 | ||
| 3 | cups | Cooked long-grain rice |
| ¼ | pounds | Butter |
| ¼ | teaspoon | Saffron threads steeped in |
| 1 | tablespoon | Hot water |
| ½ | cup | Yogurt |
| Butter to grease mold | ||
| 1 | teaspoon | Lemon peel, minced |
| 1 | teaspoon | Allspice |
| Salt and pepper to taste | ||
| 2 | cups | Cooked chicken breasts skinned and boned (1« lb) |
Directions
In a bowl, pour boiling water over the dried fruits. Steep for 10 minutes. then drain, reserving the liquid. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, mix walnuts with 2 cups cooked rice and set aside. In another bowl, combine remaining rice with 6 tbs of the melted butter, the saffron and the yogurt. Preheat oven to 400øF and butter a metal mold that measures 7x3 inches. Spoon saffron rice mixture into the bottom of the prepared mold and pack it down to eliminate air pockets.
To the rice and walnut mixture, add lemon peel, allspice and salt and pepper and spoon half of this mixture over the saffron rice. Layer half of the dried fruit, then half of the diced chicken over the mixture. Spoon 1 tbs of the reserved fruit liquid and 1 tbs of the remaining melted butter over it. Add the rest of the walnut-rice mixture and repeat with the fruit, then chicken and then the remaining fruit liquid and melted butter. Pack down firmly with a wooden spoon. Cover the top with aluminum foil and bake it on the bottom shelf of the oven for 40 minutes.
Remove from the oven and place the mold on top of the stove over low heat and cook for 5 minutes more to form a golden crust. When ready to serve, place the bottom of the mold in cold water for a few minutes, then invert to unmold onto a serving dish. Scrape any rusty rice from the bottom of the mold and spoon it over the surface.
Submitted By DIANE LAZARUS On 10-17-95