Lebanese Chicken Pilaf
RIZ BI DJAAJ
Place a stewing chicken in enough water to cover. Bring to
boil. Skim. Season water with salt, pepper and a cinnamon stick and
simmer chicken until meat comes easily from the bones. Do not boil as
this will toughen the meat. Cook in a pressure cooker if
desired. Remove meat in large pieces from the bones. Reserve the
stock. For every 1 1/4 cups
stock take one cup of rice which has been soaked in hot water for half
an hour and fry gently in samneh or butter. Then boil rice in
chicken broth until tender. The broth will be absorbed. Saute 1/2 cup blanched almonds and
1/4 of a cup pine nuts in
butter. Arrange nuts in bottom of greased deep round dish or mold.
Cover with rice and press down gently. Unmold onto serving
platter. Garnish with whole pieces of chicken. Serve hot with chicken
gravy.
(From Food from the Arab World Marie
Karam Khayat and Margaret Clark Keatinge, Khayat's, Beirut 1959)
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