Cardamom Chicken with Caramelised Onion and Rice

The flavours and spices in this recipe are soft and warming. It is a one pot meal and although the preparation time may seem a bit long, most of the preparation can be done whilst the onions are cooking.  
I have changed a few of the ingredients as I sometimes serve this at family meals and worry about not fishing out all the cloves etc before little childen find them.  Here is link to the  original Chicken with caramelized onion and cardamom rice recipe  as printed inYotam Ottolenghi's "Jerusalem CookBook" .            Enjoy!  Colleen

Cardamom Chicken by Feed Your Inner Cook

Cardamom Chicken by Feed Your Inner Cook

Cardamom Chicken by Feed Your Inner Cook

Preparation    20 minutes  (most can be done whilst onions cook)
Cooking         15 mins for onions, 10 min sear chicken, 30 min cook, 10min stand.
Serves            4 - 5 

Ingredients
1/2 cup loosely packed Barberries   OR  (I use) Cranberries   OR  Currants
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground Sumac  (optional)
1 1/2 cups Basmati Rice  
Olive oil
3 large onions - finely sliced
1 kg chicken pieces, skin on and bone-in,  I use 2 thigh cutlets and 4 drumsticks 
1 1/2 teaspoons Ground Cardamom
1  teaspoon Ground Cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon dried mint
Salt
Pepper
1 -  1/1/2 tablespoons dry sherry (optional)
500 ml boiling water  OR chicken Stock (my preference)

2 tablespoons chopped parsley  (PLUS more for garnish later)
1/3 cup (loosely packed) chopped dill
1/4 cup coriander OR mint (my preference) -chopped (PLUS more for garnish later)
1/4 - 1/3 cup Greek Yoghurt 
2 tablespoons approx  lemon juice
option: Toasted pine nuts for garnish
option: lemon wedges to serve, chopped mint or parsley to garnish

Method
First, rinse and soak your basmati Rice.  Rinse it a few times and allow to soak. You will need to drain it before adding to pot later.

Secondly, soak cranberries or currants in lemon juice and sumac then set aside.

Use a large saute pan that has a tight-fitting lid to use for covering later on.

Toast the pinenuts (for garnish later). Remove from pan and set aside.

Heat some olive oil in pan and cook onions til golden, stir regularly, approx 15 min.

Whilst onions are cooking:
In a medium bowl, mix the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, dried mint, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. (You re-use the bowl for reserved cooked onions)

In a large bowl, add the chicken pieces and sprinkle with the spices and mix to coat evenly.

When the onions are soft and golden, remove from pan - pop into the used spice bowl.

Add a little more oil to the pan and place chicken pieces skin side down.  Sear for 5 minutes then turn and cook on other side for a further 5 minutes. (This helps part-cook chicken).
Remove the chicken pieces from pan and return them to the large bowl.

Add the splash of sherry to the pan to help deglaze.  Scrap the crunchy bits off base of pan but leave in the pan ready for next step.

Add the DRAINED Basmati rice to the pan. 
Stir in the cooked onions, soaked cranberries plus 1 teaspoon Salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Mix through the rice well.
Return the chicken pieces to the pan, pushing them into the rice.
Pour the boiling stock around the sides of the chicken pieces.
Cover the pan with the lid and cook on low heat for 30 minutes.

After the 30 minutes, turn off heat. Taste rice and ensure it is cooked.
Quickly place a clean tea-towel over the pan and replace the lid over the towel on pan.

After 10 minutes, remove the towel. Stir the fresh herbs through the rice and chicken.
Taste.  Add extra salt and pepper if needed.

Sprinkle with the toasted pinenuts and reserved chopped fresh mint/parsley garnish
Serve with a drizzle of the lemony yoghurt. Add extra lemon wedges if desired.
                                    
                                                                 Enjoy!   Colleen