Iranian Chicken with Rice (Morgh Polou)

Name: Iranian Chicken with Rice (Morgh Polou)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Persian Plateau & Isfahan
Ingredients: 3 lb broiler-fryer chickens; salt & pepper; 0.25 cup butter; 1 large onion; 0.5 cup dried apricot; 0.5 cup raisins; 0.5 tsp cinnamon; 0.25 cup water; 0.5 tsp saffron thread; 2 tbsp water; 4 cup cooked rice

Rice, broiler-fryer chickens and apricot come together in this Persian dish, fragrant with cinnamon and saffron and baked in the oven.

1 hr 20 min · Serves 4 · Medium

Method

Start cooking mode

Time: Prep 20 min · Cook 60 min · 80 min total
Difficulty: medium

1
Season the chicken pieces with salt & pepper. Using half the Ghee/butter brown the chicken, set aside.
2
Fry the onion until transparent in the remaining butter/ghee, add apricots & raisins cook 5 miniutes.
3
Stir in the cinnamon then add the 1/4 cup water to lift the browned sediment. Place half the cooked rice in an oven proof dish placing the chicken on top.
4
Spread the apricot mixture over the chicken and top with remaining rice. Cover the dish tightly and bake in 350 oven for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked & tender.
45 min
5
While the chicken is cooking mix the saffron with 2 tbsp boiling water, leave to steep. Just before serving sprinkle saffron liquid over the top of the casserole, stir gently mixing the chicken, rice & saffron. Serve heaped on a platter.