Chicken pilaf with cardamom, carrot and orange recipe

Beautifully scented, this Middle Eastern dish would be a great choice for a special occasion

Good

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

It can be made grander with saffron butter. Soak a pinch of saffron strands in 1½ tbsp boiling water for 20 minutes, melt some butter and add the saffron water. Pour this on before serving.

Step 2

Prep time 10 minutes

Step 3

Serves

Step 4

Put the rice into a sieve and rinse it under the tap until the water runs clear.

Step 5

Cut the rind off half the orange with a very sharp knife or potato peeler, trying to remove it in broad strips. Slice away as much of the white pith as possible and cut the rind into fine strips. Squeeze the juice from the orange into a bowl.

Step 6

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and quickly brown the chicken pieces over a high heat to get a good colour (you are only colouring the meat, not cooking it through). Remove to a bowl.

Step 7

Crush the coriander seeds in a mortar and pestle and put into a small bowl. Crush the cardamom so that you can remove the pods (discard them), then crush the seeds.

Step 8

Heat half of the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan and sauté the onion until pale gold. Add the garlic and cook for a couple more minutes, then add the spices and cook for another minute. Add the rice and stir until it’s well coated in butter and just beginning to toast.

Step 9

Add the stock and the orange juice and bring to the boil. When the surface starts to look pitted, turn the heat right down. Tumble in the browned chicken and cover the pan. The rice will cook in the steam. Don’t stir or you’ll release the starch and the rice will become sticky. It will take about 15 minutes to cook.

Step 10

Meanwhile, melt the rest of the butter in a pan and sauté the carrots over a medium heat until softened (they need to lose their raw bite). Remove the carrots and put the orange rind into the buttery juices.

Step 11

Cook for a couple of minutes over a medium heat until softening, then add the sugar and stir until all moisture is cooked off and the zest is slightly caramelised. Gently fork the carrots and the rind into the cooked rice, along with the nuts and coriander. Serve immediately.