Name: Za’atar roast chicken with pistachio and herb pilaf
Total time: 7200 s
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 lemon; 1.8 kilogram whole chicken; 2 tablespoon za’atar; 250 gram basmati rice; 1 tub chicken stock; 200 millilitre creamery whole milk; 1 cinnamon stick; 10 cardamom pod; 100 gram raw, shelled pistachios; 100 gram coriander; 12 gram tarragon; 25 gram dill; 1 lemon; 200 gram pomegranate seeds; 1 bunch spring onion; 1 clove garlic; 2 cucumber; 1/2 red onion; 2 tablespoon Greek extra virgin olive oil; 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar; 1 teaspoon caster sugar

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan. Stuff the lemon (1) into the cavity of the chicken (1.8 kg) , then mix 2 tbsp olive oil with the za’atar (10 g) and some sea salt. Rub it all over the chicken, then place onto a baking tray. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes.

Step 2

Meanwhile, tip the rice (250 g) into a mixing bowl, cover with cold water and stir it around gently with your hand – the water will turn white. Drain in a sieve and repeat 4-5 times, until the water stays almost clear when you stir the rice. Drain and tip into a large, ovenproof, heavy-based sauté pan or shallow casserole.

Step 3

Add the chicken stock (1 tub) , milk (200 mL) , cinnamon stick (1) and cardamom (10) to the pan, then put the rice in the oven below the chicken. Cook both for 1 hour, until the chicken is cooked and the rice is crisp on top.

Step 4

Remove both from the oven, transfer the chicken to a carving board and leave to rest, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Tip any juices from the chicken into the rice (be careful not to scrape the pan), then cover the rice and leave to rest.

Step 5

Tip the pistachios (100 g) onto the same tin you roasted the chicken in, and toss with the remaining chicken juices. Roast for 10 minutes, then roughly chop. Toss cucumber (2) , red onion (1/2) , Greek extra virgin olive oil (30 mL) , white wine vinegar (15 mL) and caster sugar (4 g) together and season well, then leave to sit for 10 minutes.

Step 6

Remove the cardamom pods and cinnamon stick from the rice. Stir in the coriander (100 g) , tarragon (10 g) , dill (25 g) , pistachios, lemon juice (1) , pomegranate seeds (200 g) , spring onions (1 bunch) and garlic (1 clove) and tip in any remaining juices from the chicken. Carve the chicken, then serve with the rice and the cucumber salad.

Za’atar roast chicken with pistachio and herb pilaf

RECIPE

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