Persian chicken

Name: Persian chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Iranian
Ingredients: 2 strips of orange zest; 2 tbsp shelled pistachios; 2 tbsp toasted flaked almonds; 2 tbsp raisins; 10 dates, pitted and sliced; 300 g/10 oz/1½ cups basmati rice, rinsed; 2 onions, finely sliced; 2 dried bay leaves; 4 cloves; 2 large cinnamon sticks; 12 cardamom pods, crushed; 12 boneless chicken thighs, skin on; 60 g/2 oz/4 tbsp Clarified Butter; a good pinch of saffron strands; sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 tbsp coriander (cilantro) leaves; 2 tbsp sumac; 2 strips of lime zest; 2 strips of lemon zest

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
1 hr 5

Appears in

The Good Chicken Cookbook

By Marcus Bean

Published 2024

About

Persian cooking is about zingy flavours, often combining sweet and savoury in the traditional Middle Eastern style, with lots of citrus tang. You’ll find sumac with the spices in major supermarkets or in ethnic stores - it adds to the citrus notes in this dish.

Ingredients

a good pinch of saffron strands
60 g/2 oz/4

Asia
Iran
Persia
Gluten-free

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C/315°F/Gas 2½ and have ready a large ovenproof dish. Put the saffron strands in a bowl, pour over 2 tablespoons hot water and leave to stand.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the clarified butter in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken in two