Executive chef

Abu Faysal Lebanese restaurant
Chicken with Rice
serves 6

1 chicken cut into 8 pieces
2 cinnamon sticks
5–8 cardamom pods
2 cups rice (preferably basmati)
200g minced lamb or beef
Salt
½ tsp allspice
½ tsp cinnamon powder
½ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
200g pine nuts
200g blanched almonds
200g raisins
50g butter or three tablespoons vegetable oil

l Boil the chicken in a large pot with 3 litres of water, the cinnamon sticks and the cardamom pods. When the chicken is well cooked remove it in addition to the cardamom and cinnamon sticks and reserve the stock.
l In a separate pot, melt the butter over a low heat and add the minced meat and stir a few times until the meat is well browned. Add the salt, the spices and the rice. Stir for one minute on low heat.
l Add the chicken stock to the rice and meat mixture, cover the pot and let it simmer on a low heat until the rice entirely absorbs the chicken stock.
l Remove the chicken’s bones and skin and cut it up into large chunks.
l Put the pine nuts, the almonds and the raisins in a non-stick oven pan and put the pan in the oven for about four or five minutes or until the nuts turn golden.
l When the rice is cooked, serve it in a rather flat serving dish. Arrange the pieces of chicken all around the dish and cover with the nuts and raisins mixture.
l Serve immediately with green salad or yogurt.