Iraqi Style Tabyeet Chicken Food

IRAQI STYLE TABYEET CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir in the turmeric and brown the chicken on all sides. Add the water, tomato paste, spices, salt, pepper (I use a lot of pepper and not very much salt) and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the chicken.
• Return the cooking liquid to a boil and add the rice. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. If the rice is dry, add a little more water. Take the rice off the stove and cool for a few minutes, uncovered.
• Mix the garbanzo beans into the rice mixture and then spoon a cup or so of rice into the cavity of the chicken. Make a well in the rice within the pot and nestle the chicken, breast side up, into the rice.
• Take the eggs and carefully prick a hole in the round part of the eggshell (to let air escape) and then bury them carefully in the rice around the chicken. Make sure they are not touching the bottom of the pot. Explosions are not good.
• Cover with aluminum foil and then cover tightly with the dutch ovens lid and bake in a 200F oven overnight (10 hours). You can also bake the casserole at 350F for 2 hours, reducing the heat to 250F and cooking for 2-3 more hours.
• When ready to serve, remove the chicken carefully and de-bone it. Arrange on a serving platter with the rice mounded around it. Scrape up all the crusty rice from the bottom of the pan - its the best part. Arrange the eggs, peeled and halved, on top of the rice.

CHICKEN WITH RICE AND EGGS (TABYEET)

Steps:

• Soak rice overnight in water to cover.
• Rub turmeric into chicken and sprinkle with pepper. Saute chicken in hot oil for about 10 minutes. Add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, tomato paste, salt and water. Partially cover and boil chicken for 30 minutes.
• Remove chicken. Drain rice and add to chicken cooking liquid. Bring to boil and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Return chicken to pot. Continue boiling until liquid has evaporated almost completely.
• Cover chicken and rice with enough foil to hold the number of eggs you wish to cook. Add the eggs in the shells. Place in 400-degree oven for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 300 degrees and bake 30 minutes longer. Reduce heat to 250 degrees and bake for 2 to 3 hours, until rice forms golden crust on bottom and sides.
• To help with removal of crust, place pan in cold water in the sink for a minute or two. Serve chicken on platter surrounded by rice.