Saudi risotto with roast chicken

Name: Saudi risotto with roast chicken (Saleeq)
Cuisine: Saudi Arabian
Ingredients: 2 tbsp ghee or butter, plus extra for brushing the chicken; 2 tbsp ghee or butter, plus extra for brushing the chicken; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 1 white loomi (dried lemon), pierced; 1 white loomi (dried lemon), pierced; 2 bay leaves; 1 stick of cinnamon; 5 green cardamom pods; 1 medium whole skin-on chicken, cut in half, lengthways, or 4 chicken legs; 1 medium whole skin-on chicken, cut in half, lengthways, or 4 chicken legs; 350 g (12 oz/1¾ cups) risotto rice; 100 g (3½ oz) clotted cream, thick cream or ashta (sterilized cream); 100 g (3½ oz) clotted cream, thick cream or ashta (sterilized cream); 100 g (3½ oz) clotted cream, thick cream or ashta (sterilized cream); 100 g (3½ oz) clotted cream, thick cream or ashta (sterilized cream); 1-1.25 litres (35-44 fl oz/4¼-5½ cups) whole milk; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 tbsp ghee; 1 tbsp truffle shavings (I use a mandoline to shave, optional but highly recommended); Daqqus

Saleeq

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Red Sea Cookbook

By Madeeha Qureshi

Published 2026

About

Despite its simple ingredients, the elegance of saleeq lies in the way it is presented. This is a very low maintenance but attractive-looking main, especially when showered with some shaved or thinly sliced truffles and dressed with truffle oil instead of glistening ghee (which is my spin on this Saudi classic) all around the edges of the dish, giving it Lord of the Rings vibes.

It is rich, creamy, flavoursome, with the melt-in-your-mouth texture of juicy rotisserie-style roa

Ingredients

Asia
Saudi Arabia
Main course
Gluten-free

Ingredients

Method