Tavuklu Pilav

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Put the chicken whole in a large pot. Cover with water, season with salt and pepper, and add 2 bay leaves and the thyme or oregano. Bring to the boil and simmer, covered, for about 1 hour, until the chicken is very tender.

   Step 2

   Lift the chicken out, and when it is cool enough to handle, cut into 6 serving pieces. If you like, remove skin and bones. Keep warm in a little of the broth to prevent it from becoming dry. Then cut the rest of the meat into small pieces to be mixed in with the rice.

   Step 3

   Measure the remaining broth. If there is more than about 4 1/2 cups, reduce by vigorous boiling. If there is less, add water until you have 4 1/2 cups. Set aside 1 1/2 cups as sauce. Return the small chicken pieces to the 3 cups of stock in the pan. Throw in the rice, stir, and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently, covered and undisturbed, for 20 minutes, until the rice is tender.

   Step 4

   To serve, reheat the reserved chicken portions, heap the rice on a large, flat serving dish, and arrange the chicken portions on top. Pass around the 1 1/2 cups of broth for everyone to pour on as a sauce.

2. Variations

   Step 5

   For the Arab roz bi jaj (rice with chicken), the stock is perfumed with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1 teaspoon cardamom seeds. The rice is cooked in the broth with small pieces of chicken, as described above; 1/3 cup blanched almonds and about 2–3 tablespoons pine nuts are lightly fried in oil and arranged at the bottom of an oiled ring or pyramid-shaped mold. The cooked rice is pressed over them, then the mold is turned out onto a serving dish and surrounded by serving pieces of chicken.

   Step 6

   Another presentation is to line the mold first with a layer of nuts, then with the boned chicken, and to pack the rice in over the meat. Inverted, this looks beautiful too.