Persian Polo Chicken Recipes

Steps:

• Fry the onion in 3 tbsp of margarine or oil until golden, add the chicken pieces and brown on all sides.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper, add raisins and apricots, and continue to cook for a minute or two longer, turning the fruit in the fat.
• Sprinkle with cinnamon, cover with water and simmer gently, covered, until the chicken is very tender and the sauce reduced.
• Bone the chicken if you like.
• Wash and cook the rice, but do not steam it.
• It should be just partially cooked.
• Put 2 tbsp melted margarine or oil at the bottom of a large heavy saucepan.
• Spread half of the partly cooked rice over this, cover with the chicken pieces, pour the rich fruity sauce over them and cover with the remaining rice.
• Cover the pan with a cloth, put the lid on tightly, and steam over a very low heat for 20 to 30 minutes.
• The cloth will capture the steam rising from the rice and help to make it fluffy.
• Serve all mixed together.

Steps:

• Wash 4 half chicken breasts (with bones and skin) and put them in a good-sized pot. Add celery rib, thyme, parsley sprigs, bay leaf, cracked peppercorns, and juniper berries.
• Barely cover the breasts with cold water, cover the pot, and bring to a gentle simmer (the surface of the water shakes and only a few bubbles break). Hold it there for 20 minutes; turn off the heat; let the breasts rest in the hot water for 10 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to a strainer. Let it rest until cool enough to handle and then cut or pull the meat into bite-sized pieces. Use the skin, bones, and broth to make stock for some other dish.
• Grind six or so handfuls of walnuts fine in a food processor to produce three cups. You want to end up with about three cups.
• Heat 5T unsalted butter in a large, heavy saucepan, and add onions, chopped fine. Cook onions until they are golden, 8 minutes or so. Add ground walnuts and stir constantly (very important) for about five minutes. They will stick if you don't stir.
• Add the lemon juice, salt, cinnamon, sugar, pomegranate juice, and two cups water. Cover pot and let mixture simmer for up to 40 minutes.
• Five minutes before you're ready to serve, add the chicken. Keep the heat low so it doesn't toughen up and cook it only until everything is heated through. Turn off the heat and let it rest if you must. It will stay hot for quite a while.

Steps:

• Slash each piece of chicken 2 or 3 times with a sharp knife.
• Mix the flour, turmeric and paprika in a small plastic bag.
• Shake the chicken pieces in it to coat them thinly.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the chicken and cook until browned on all sides.
• Transfer to a plate.
• Add the onion and garlic to the frying pan and fry, stirring for 5 minutes until lightly browned.
• Stir in the remaining spiced flour and stir into the onion and garlic mixture.
• Add the cloves, ginger and some pepper.
• Pour in and gradually incorporate the stock.
• Bring to the boil stirring.
• Pack the chicken joints into the slow cooker and pour in the hot stock mixture. Cover with the lid.
• Cook on high for 2 hours, then on medium for another 4 hours (or on medium for longer).

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring salted water to a boil and simmer lentils on low for 20 - 30 minutes, or until tender. Drain water from lentils and set aside.
• In a pan, saute the onions and garlic in oil. Add raisins, dates, and spices, except saffron. Mix well and set aside.
• Cook rice as you would like. For a sure-fire way, I use my rice cooker. Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Add to rice cooker and cover with 2 cups water. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and a drizzle of oil. Cook. Once rice is done, transfer cooked rice to a large bowl.
• In the same pot (or your rice cooker), add oil to just cover the bottom surface. Add potato slices.
• Add a layer of rice.
• Add a layer of lentil-raisin mixture.
• Continue layering, ending with a final layer of rice.
• Cover and cook (on medium heat in a pot or just hit "cook" button on your rice cooker) for 10 minutes.
• Drizzle melted butter and saffron water over your rice.
• Cover the top of your pot or rice cooker with a tea towel to prevent steam from escaping, and top with lid.
• Cook on low for 30 minutes. You want to make the potatoes crispy, so they must cook slowly. In the rice cooker, I continuously hit the cook button so this process (called tadig) can happen. It's totally worth it!
• Serve.