Persian saffron chicken with jewelled rice

Name: Persian saffron chicken with jewelled rice
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 0.3 g Saffron, a generous pinch; 2 g Caster sugar, a pinch, for grinding the saffron; 800 g Chicken thighs, boneless and skinless; 150 g Natural yoghurt; 1 Onions, grated; 0.2 Garlic, 2 cloves, crushed; 1 Lemons, juiced; 2 g Ground turmeric; 4 g Salt; 15 ml Olive oil; 350 g Basmati rice; 40 g Butter; 1 Onions, thinly sliced; 200 g Carrots, cut into thin matchsticks; 1 Oranges, zest pared into thin strips; 10 g Caster sugar; 60 g Dried cranberries, or barberries if you can find them; 1 g Cardamom pods, 4 pods, lightly crushed; 1 g Ground cinnamon; 6 g Salt; 40 g Pistachios, roughly chopped; 30 g Flaked almonds

Saffron and yoghurt-marinated chicken served on Iranian-style jewelled rice, glittering with orange zest, carrots, cranberries and pistachios. A celebration dish that's easier than it looks.

Ingredients

0.3 g Saffron, a generous pinch
2 g Caster sugar, a pinch, for grinding the saffron
800 g Chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
150 g Natural yoghurt
1 Onions, grated
0.2 Garlic, 2 cloves, crushed
1 Lemons, juiced
2 g Ground turmeric
4 g Salt
15 ml Olive oil
350 g Basmati rice
40 g Butter
1 Onions, thinly sliced
200 g Carrots, cut into thin matchsticks
1 Oranges, zest pared into thin strips
10 g Caster sugar
60 g Dried cranberries, or barberries if you can find them
1 g Cardamom pods, 4 pods, lightly crushed
1 g Ground cinnamon
6 g Salt
40 g Pistachios, roughly chopped
30 g Flaked almonds

Method

Grind the saffron with the pinch of sugar using a pestle and mortar (or the back of a spoon in a cup), then pour over 4 tablespoons of hot water and leave to steep.
Mix the yoghurt, grated onion, garlic, lemon juice, turmeric, salt, olive oil and half the saffron water. Stir in the chicken and leave to marinate, or overnight in the fridge if you can.
Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Boil in plenty of salted water for 6 minutes, until just softening but still firm in the middle. Drain.
Melt half the butter in a large non-stick pan and fry the sliced onion until soft and golden. Add the carrots and orange strips and cook for 4 minutes, then stir in the sugar, cranberries, cardamom and cinnamon. Spoon most of this mixture out into a bowl.
Add the rest of the butter to the pan, then layer the rice back in with the jewelled mixture. Drizzle over the rest of the saffron water. Poke a few holes with the handle of a spoon, wrap the lid in a clean tea towel, cover tightly and steam on the lowest heat.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan). Spread the chicken on a lined tray and roast until cooked through and charred at the edges.
Toast the pistachios and almonds in a dry pan for a couple of minutes. Pile the rice onto a platter, scraping up any golden crust from the bottom, top with the chicken and scatter with the nuts.