Riz bi-Djaj (Lebanese poached chicken and rice)

This is a beautiful traditional Lebanese dish with plenty of nuts, fresh herbs, yoghurt and fragrant poached chicken.

Credit: Adam Liaw

• serves

  4

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  1 hour

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 60 ml (¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 brown onion, finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 200 g lamb mince
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp baharat
• salt, to taste
• 500 g basmati rice, rinsed until water runs clear
• 80 g vermicelli egg noodles
• 1 lemon, juiced
• ½ bunch parsley, leaves picked
• 100 g unsalted butter
• 30 g toasted pine nuts
• 30 g toasted almonds
• 30 g toasted cashews
• ½ tsp red Aleppo pepper
• ½ bunch coriander, leaves
• thick Greek–style yoghurt, to serve

Poached chicken

• 1 whole chicken, about 1 kg
• 5 sprigs thyme
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 bay leaves

Cooling time: 1 hour

Instructions

1. For the poached chicken, place all the ingredients in a large saucepan and add enough cold water to cover well. Bring to the boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off, cover the pan and allow the chicken to sit in the hot water for another 15 minutes. Remove the chicken, strain the chicken stock into a jug, and allow chicken to cool down. Once cool enough to handle, shred all the meat from the chicken and pour a ladle of the stock over the top to keep it moist. Set aside until required.
2. Heat a large, heavy–based saucepan over high heat and 2 tablespoons of oil. When the oil is very hot, break the noodles into the pan and stir continuously until well toasted and quite dark. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Heat another tablespoon of oil to the pan over medium – high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is soft. Add the mince and use a whisk to break up any lumps. Add the cumin, baharat and a pinch of salt and cook until the mince has browned.
4. Return the noodles to the pan, add the rice and stir to coat well. Add 600 ml reserved chicken stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 14 minutes. Remove the rice from the heat, leaving the lid on and allow to steam for a further 10 minutes.
5. Finely chop half the parsley leaves. After resting, use a fork and fluff the rice mixture, add the chopped parsley, a good pinch of salt and lemon juice to taste.
6. Just before serving, place a frying pan over high heat. Add the butter and allow to foam. Add the nuts, Aleppo and a pinch of salt, stir constantly to cook the nuts in the butter. Once the butter starts to brown, add a squeeze of lemon juice and remove from the heat.
7. To serve, spread the rice over the base of a serving platter. To with the shredded chicken, making sure you cover all the rice. Spoon the yoghurt over the top, then pour over the brown butter and nut mixture. Scatter with the coriander and remaining parsley.

 

Photography by Adam Liaw.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.