One Pot Saffron Rice With Spiced Chicken Breast Food

SPICED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH DATES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425˚. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, the paprika and brown sugar. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, reduce the heat to medium and cook until browned, 6 minutes. Flip the chicken; transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake until cooked through, 10 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and cover with foil.
• Pour off the juices from the skillet; reserve. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet and set over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook, undisturbed, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Toss; cook until tender, 2 more minutes. Add the dates and vinegar; cook until the vinegar is reduced, 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, bring to a simmer and cook until reduced, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the reserved skillet juices and any juices from the plate of chicken.
• Meanwhile, cook the noodles in the boiling water as the label directs. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain the noodles and return to the pan. Add the butter and 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking water. Toss until coated, adding more cooking water as needed. Season with salt and pepper and stir in 3 tablespoons parsley.
• Slice the chicken and top with the sauce. Serve with the noodles; sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley.

PANCETTA AND SAFFRON RICE

Steps:

• In a medium (3-quart) saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until brown and crispy, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the pancetta to paper towels to drain. Set aside. Discard any cooking juices in the pan.
• In the same pan, over medium heat, add the butter. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft. Add in the rice and stir until the rice is lightly toasted and coated with the butter, about 1 minute. Stir in the stock, salt and saffron. Bring the mixture to a simmer and, with a wooden spoon. scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook until the rice is tender and all the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 to 25 minutes Let the rice stand for 5 minutes. Using a fork, fluff the rice and transfer to a serving bowl. Top with the cooked pancetta and serve.

SAFFRON JEWEL RICE

Steps:

• Sprinkle the saffron into 1/4 cup hot water; let sit 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine 2 cups water, the sugar and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the orange zest and carrot, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl; set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, cinnamon stick, cardamom, allspice, cumin and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the rice and 3/4 teaspoon salt and stir to coat. Add 3 cups water, increase the heat to medium high and simmer until the water has mostly evaporated, about 4 minutes. Cover the pot with foil and the lid, reduce the heat to low and cook until the water is completely absorbed, about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pistachios and almonds and cook until just lightly golden, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add the dried cranberries and apricots, and 1 tablespoon of the prepared saffron water; stir to combine, then transfer to a bowl and set aside for topping.
• Uncover the rice and fluff with a fork; discard the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods. Transfer about half of the rice to a serving bowl. Add the remaining saffron water, 1 tablespoon butter and the reserved orange peel and carrot to the rice in the pot and stir gently. Add the yellow rice to the white rice and gently toss; sprinkle with the pistachio mixture and parsley.

KASHMIRI CHICKEN, CARDAMOM AND SAFFRON PILAU: SPICED INDIAN RICE

Steps:

• Rinse the basmati rice several times in cold water and drain in a colander - leave to dry.
• Heat half of the oil (1 tablespoon) in a large pan and add half of the onion (1 onion), the garlic, ginger and cumin seeds. Fry them over a gentle heat for about 5 minutes.
• Add the chicken pieces and brown them - turning them regularly to achieve a good colour all over.
• Add the saffron, boiling water, cardamom pods, mint, garam masala and cinnamon stick. Bring it all to the boil and then cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, until the chicken is tender.
• Transfer all the contents to a bowl and rinse out the pan.
• Add the remaining oil and onion to the pan and fry until the onion is lightly coloured. Add the rice and stir it well, cook for about 2 to 3 minutes until the rice is opaque.
• Add the chicken mixture, tomatoes and sultanas - then season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir gently, then shake the pan to level the ingredients.
• Add sufficient boiling water to come about 3/4" above the rice mixture. Cover with a tight fitting lid and cook gently over a low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, until the rice is tender and the liquid has all been absorbed.
• Discard the cinnamon stick and transfer to a warm serving dish, sprinkle with the toasted almonds and serve immediately.

SAFFRON RICE WITH CHICKEN & PEPPERS

Steps:

• Put the saffron in a small bowl and pour over the warm water. Bruise the strands with the back of a teaspoon to fix the colour, and set aside while you prepare the rest.
• Heat the olive oil in a large, weighty casserole, and when hot tip in the chicken. Stir fry for a minute or two over a high heat to seal in the juices, then set aside.
• Strip the leaves from the thyme sprigs and scatter into the pan along with the onions and garlic. Fry until golden then pour in the lime juice. Turn the heat down a tad, add the pepper and continue cooking for another 5 minutes before adding the wine, stock and seasoning. Return the chicken to the pan and simmer for 6 minutes until the meat is tender and the liquid has cooked down a little.
• Meanwhile, cook the rice in a pan of fast boiling water until tender, but with a slight bite. Drain in a colander and rinse with warm water. Heap over the chicken while still on the heat. Drizzle with the saffron and its soaking liquid, and scatter over the peas. Don't stir the chicken and rice at this stage, but cover and cook over a low-moderate heat until the rice is fluffy and the liquid reduced to a few tablespoons - about 3 minutes. Before serving, gently mix the saffron-streaked rice with the chicken and pepper mixture.

ONE-POT SPICED ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. If you're making the spice mix, combine all the ingredients and set aside. For the sauce, tip the onion, garlic, chilli and ginger into a food processor and blitz until smooth. Heat the oil and ghee or butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the spiced onion purée with a pinch of salt for 12 mins. Add 2 tbsp of the spice mix, turn up the heat to high and cook for 1 min. Tip in the tomatoes, sugar and 250ml water. Bring to a simmer. Season well with salt and turn off the heat.
• To prepare the chicken, put the remaining spice mix in a bowl with 1 tsp sea salt and the ghee or butter, and mash together. Push two-thirds of the spiced butter beneath the skin of the chicken breasts, then rub the rest over the outside of the breasts and legs. Season the chicken skin with 1 tsp sea salt and tie the legs together. Sit the chicken in a 28-30cm pan, shallow casserole or roasting tin and pour the sauce around the bird. Cover the chicken with foil and roast for 40 mins, then remove the foil and roast for another 30-40 mins, or until cooked through (when you cut into one of the legs, the juices should run clear). Stir the double cream into the sauce. Taste for seasoning and leave to rest, uncovered, for 10 mins.
• Make the chutney by blitzing all the ingredients together in a food processor until coarse. Season to taste.
• Top the chicken with some extra sliced chillies and coriander leaves, then serve with the chutney, pilau rice and naan, if you like.