Chicken Awsat

Name: Chicken Awsat (Chicken in a Bread Loaf)
Cuisine: Egyptian
Ingredients: Sprigs of parsley and other fresh herbs; ½ teaspoon rose water (optional); 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley; 30–60 g (1–2 oz) pistachio nuts, chopped; Juice of ½ lemon; 1 teaspoon dried crushed mint; Salt and black pepper; 1 medium loaf with an attractive shape (rectangular or cottage); 250 g (8 oz) chicken livers; 1 medium chicken, boiled or sofrito; Oil (originally sesame oil, but corn or nut will do well); ¼ teaspoon ground allspice; Chicken stock

Chicken in a Bread Loaf

Preparation info

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

A New Book of Middle Eastern Food

By Claudia Roden

Published 1986

About

This is a medieval recipe from the Kitab al Wusla il al Habib, where it is also called ‘Egyptian chicken’. It is a loaf of bread from which the soft inside has been removed to make room for a stuffing of boned chicken meat and livers.

I am giving my own interpretation and quantities of ingredients as I have prepared them.

Ingredients

1 medium loaf with an attractive shape (rectangular or cottage)
1 medium chicken, boiled or sofrito
250

Method

Cut a slice off the top of the loaf and put it aside to serve as a lid. Carefully remove all the pith from the loaf, leaving the crust intact.

Bone and chop the cooked chicken. Clean the chicken livers and sauté gently in a little oil for 3 to 4 minutes. Add about ½ teacup of the stock in which the chicken was cooked, and season to taste with allspice, salt and pepper. (A little brandy