Broad Bean and Dill Rice (Riz b'foul) with Chicken

Method13 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Juice the 2 lemons, peel and crush the 4 garlic cloves, and finely chop the onion (1). In an ovenproof dish mix the lemon juice, garlic, onion, 1 cup plain yogurt, 1 tbsp seven spice, 1 tsp each paprika, turmeric (1 tsp) and ground coriander (1 tsp), 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 1/2 tbsp marinade salt and 2 tbsp olive oil. Add all 10 chicken thighs and coat well. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 1–2 hours; keep the chicken chilled until ready to bake.

   Chill and marinate the chicken · 60 minUses 10 raw chicken thighs · Juice freshly squeezed from the 2 lemons, excluding seeds and peel · 4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed · 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped · 1 cup plain yogurt for the chicken marinade · 1 tbsp seven spice · 1 tsp paprika · 1 tsp ground turmeric

2. 2

   Step 2: When ready to cook, heat the oven to 200°C. Keep the chicken and its marinade in the ovenproof dish, cover with foil and bake for the first 30 minutes. Prepare the rice ingredients while the chicken cooks, and return to the chicken when the timer sounds.

   Turn the chicken and lower the oven · 30 minUses Chilled chicken with its lemon-yogurt marinade

3. 3

   Step 3: After those first 30 minutes, carefully uncover, turn the chicken and baste it with the hot juices in the dish. Reduce the oven to 170°C and bake uncovered for another 30 minutes, until the thighs reach at least 74°C in their thickest part away from bone. Continue baking if needed; only fully cooked chicken will be put on the rice.

   Finish the uncovered chicken bake · 30 minUses Partly baked chicken and hot marinade juices

4. 4

   Step 4: While the chicken bakes, rinse the dill (200 g), remove any tough stalks and chop the edible herb. Set it aside for the last minute of rice cooking; discard the rinse water.

   Uses 200 g fresh dill, washed and chopped for the rice · Fresh water for rinsing the rice, dill and peeled broad beans; discard after each rinse

5. 5

   Step 5: Rinse all 5 cups dry basmati rice in fresh water, then drain it. Keep only the rinsed rice for the cooking pot and discard the wash water.

   Uses 5 cups dry basmati rice · Fresh water for rinsing the rice, dill and peeled broad beans; discard after each rinse

6. 6

   Step 6: Remove the inner skins from the fresh broad beans (1 kg), rinse the peeled beans and put them in a large pot. Discard the skins and rinse water.

   Uses 1 kg fresh broad beans, inner skins removed before cooking · Fresh water for rinsing the rice, dill and peeled broad beans; discard after each rinse

7. 7

   Step 7: Bring about 2 l fresh water to the boil and pour it over the prepared broad beans. Bring the pot back to a boil, then boil the beans for the first 5 minutes.

   Boil the beans before adding rice · 5 minUses Peeled and rinsed broad beans, excluding removed skins and wash water · About 2 l fresh water for initially boiling the broad beans

8. 8

   Step 8: Add the drained, rinsed rice to the boiling beans. Add more freshly boiled water only if needed to cover the rice by 1–2 inches. Add 1 tbsp of the rice-water salt allowance, leaving its remaining 1/2 tbsp unused, and the pinch of saffron from the rice ingredients. Cook for about 15 minutes, until the rice and beans are tender; watch the pot and extend only if needed.

   Cook the rice with the broad beans · 15 minUses Partly cooked broad beans in their hot cooking water · Drained rinsed rice, excluding wash water · 1 tbsp rice-water salt from the separate1½ tbsp allowance; remaining½ tbsp unused · 1 pinch saffron for the rice · Additional freshly boiled water only as needed to cover the rice by 1–2 inches

9. 9

   Step 9: Add the prepared chopped dill to the tender rice and beans, cook for 1 minute, then turn off the heat.

   Finish the rice with dill · 1 minUses Tender rice and broad beans in the cooking liquid · Chopped edible dill, excluding tough stalks and rinse water

10. 10

    Step 10: Drain the rice, broad beans and dill into a colander. Return only the drained mixture to the pot, cover with a lid and keep it ready for serving as soon as the chicken is fully cooked. The drained cooking liquid is not part of the finished rice.

    Uses Cooked rice, beans and dill to drain; separate cooking liquid

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    Step 11: Shortly before serving, melt all 3 tbsp butter in a small pan over low heat. Watch it closely until it turns golden and smells nutty, then take it off the heat before it burns.

    Uses 3 tbsp butter, browned just before serving

12. 12

    Step 12: Turn the drained dill-and-broad-bean rice onto a large platter. Lift the fully cooked chicken from the baking dish and arrange it over the rice, leaving excess pan juices behind.

    Uses Drained broad-bean and dill rice · Only fully cooked chicken with retained coating, excluding excess pan juices

13. 13

    Step 13: Pour the freshly browned butter over the rice just before serving. Serve the platter promptly for about 8–10 portions; offer separate fresh plain yogurt alongside if desired.

    Uses Assembled rice and fully cooked chicken platter · Freshly browned butter · Additional fresh plain yogurt to serve alongside the finished platter