Emirati Chicken And Rice (machboos Or Fogga)

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• half a bone in chicken, jointed in two (breast & wing, and thigh & leg)
• 1 tablespoon bahrat mixed spice (baharat aka middle east mixed spices - the real mix, i do not suggest using allspice as a substitute as it will be rather bland)
• sea salt
• 2 1/4 cups chicken stock (i use my own homemade)
• 1 cup chopped canned tomato
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 whole dried lime (periced a few times with a skewer. called loomi & noomi basra, please do not omit this!)
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 2 tablespoons light olive oil
• 2 curry leaves
• 3 tablespoons butter, devided
• 2 tablespoons dark raisins
• 3 whole cardamom pods, bruised
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 2 small onions, sliced
• 2 paper towels, cut in 2
• 1 lime, cut (for serving)
• plain yogurt (for serving)

Recipe

• if using the oven method heat to 350°f.
• rince chicken and remove skin.
• rub with sea salt and bahrat.
• gently fry in 1 1/2 tbs butter until browned on both sides.
• transfer to a pot, add light olive oil, stock, crushed garlic, loomi, cinnamon, cardamom, curry leaves and tomato. cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
• meanwhile fry slices of onion in remaining butter until soft and browned, remove from heat and add dark raisins to onions.
• taste stock pot for salt.
• rice basmati rice until the water runs clear.
• remove chicken pieces from pot and add rice then set them on top of the rice with the onion/raisin mixture.
• bring to a boil and then cover pot and reduce heat to low for 15 minutes.
• once the liquid has been absorbed, arrange the 4 sheets of paper towel around the pot's rim and tightly cover. (this makes for fluffier rice). also you may bake it in the oven until done from this point which i prefer as i find it cooks the rice more evenly in a greased pan.
• remove from heat and leave to steam, unopened, for 15-20 minutes.
• let stand for 10 minutes before serving. serve hot on a platter with lime wedges or halves and plain yogurt.