Poached chicken shredded over rice cooked in its own broth with cinnamon and allspice, topped with toasted almonds. Naturally gluten free comfort food for a crowd.
Prep
20 mins
Cook
1h 10m
Servings
6
Per serving
£1.67
Difficulty
easy
A one-pot dish in spirit if not quite in practice: the chicken is poached, the broth becomes the rice cooking liquid, and nothing is wasted. The seven spice character comes mostly from allspice and cinnamon, and the toasted nuts on top are what stop it feeling plain.
Put the chicken in a large pot with the quartered onion, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, peppercorns and 2 tsp of the salt. Cover with cold water by 3cm.
Bring to the boil, skim thoroughly, then reduce to a bare simmer and poach for 50 minutes for a whole bird or 30 minutes for thighs, until the meat pulls easily from the bone.
Lift the chicken out and let it cool enough to handle. Strain the broth through a sieve and measure out 800ml, skimming off most of the fat.
Do not throw the rest of the broth away. It freezes well and is far better than any stock cube.
Pull the chicken meat off the bones in large shreds, discarding skin and bones.
Melt 2 tbsp of the ghee in a heavy lidded pan and cook the chopped onion for 10 minutes until soft and golden. Stir in the allspice, ground cinnamon and nutmeg for 30 seconds.
Add the rinsed rice and turn it in the spiced onion for 2 minutes until every grain is glossy. Pour in the 800ml hot broth and add the remaining salt.
Bring to the boil, then cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave sealed for 10 minutes without lifting the lid.
Meanwhile, melt the last tablespoon of ghee in a frying pan and toast the flaked almonds and pine nuts together for 2 to 3 minutes until golden, watching closely.
Fork through the rice, fold in the shredded chicken to warm, then pile onto a platter and scatter with the toasted nuts and parsley.