Chicken Fatteh (Fattet Djaj)

Method19 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Keep the raw breasts chilled until cooking. Heat a nonstick pan over high heat and sear both chicken breasts (2 large) for about 5 minutes, until lightly golden outside. Watch and turn as needed; this only browns the exterior. Transfer them straight into the stock pot in the next step and continue cooking.

   Check the chicken browning · 5 minUses 2 large raw chicken breasts, about 500 g total

2. 2

   Step 2: Peel and halve the onion (1). Put it in the pot with the just-seared chicken, bay leaf (1), small cinnamon stick (1), 5–7 peppercorns, 3 whole cloves, 3 cardamom pods, 1/4 tsp turmeric, about 1 tsp stock salt and all 4 cups water.

   Uses Just-seared chicken breasts, still to finish cooking · 1 onion for the chicken stock · 1 bay leaf · 1 small cinnamon stick · 5–7 whole peppercorns · 3 whole cloves · 3 cardamom pods · 1/4 tsp turmeric

3. 3

   Step 3: Bring the pot to a boil, lower to a gentle simmer and cook for about 25 minutes, until the chicken reaches at least 74°C in its thickest part. Continue simmering if necessary. Only fully cooked chicken is taken out for shredding; keep the cooking liquid for the stock.

   Check the cooked chicken · 25 minUses Chicken breasts in water with onion and whole stock aromatics

4. 4

   Step 4: Lift only the fully cooked chicken breasts from the pot, leaving the broth and aromatics for straining. As soon as they are cool enough to handle, shred the meat and keep it ready for prompt assembly.

   Uses Fully cooked chicken breasts lifted from their broth

5. 5

   Step 5: Strain the remaining hot chicken cooking liquid through a fine sieve into a clean vessel. Discard the onion and whole spices caught by the sieve. Measure out 1 1/2 cups clear stock for the rice and keep any remaining clear stock for optional sauce thinning; the initial 4 cups water is not a final yield.

   Uses Chicken cooking liquid and aromatics remaining after breasts are lifted

6. 6

   Step 6: Rinse the cup of dry basmati rice (1 cup) in fresh water until the water runs clear, then drain well. Discard the rinse water.

   Uses 1 cup dry basmati rice · Fresh water for rinsing the rice; discard after rinsing

7. 7

   Step 7: Heat the separate 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a medium pot. Add the drained rinsed rice and sauté for a few minutes, stirring; keep the rice in this pot for the measured stock and simmer that follow.

   Uses Drained rinsed rice, excluding wash water · 1 tbsp vegetable oil for sautéing the rice

8. 8

   Step 8: Add the measured 1 1/2 cups strained chicken stock to the sautéed rice. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently for about 15 minutes, until the rice is tender. Start the rice reminder once simmering begins; extend gently if needed and keep the cooked rice warm for prompt assembly.

   Check the rice simmer · 15 minUses Rice sautéed in its separate tablespoon of oil · 1 1/2 cups clear chicken stock

9. 9

   Step 9: Cut both thin Lebanese flatbreads (2 large) into pieces roughly 1 inch wide.

   Uses 2 large thin Lebanese flatbreads

10. 10

    Step 10: Heat the bread-frying vegetable oil in a suitable deep pan, staying beside it. Fry the flatbread pieces until golden and crunchy. Lift out with a slotted utensil onto kitchen paper to drain, leaving the excess frying oil in the pan; no fixed frying duration is given.

    Uses Cut flatbread pieces · Vegetable oil for deep-frying the flatbread pieces

11. 11

    Step 11: Check the fried bread is crisp and well drained. Keep it dry and separate from the yogurt sauce until diners are ready. This selected route uses the bread already deep-fried; do not sauté or fry it again.

    Uses Crisp fried bread pieces lifted from excess oil

12. 12

    Step 12: Peel and crush the 1–2 garlic cloves using a mortar and pestle. Keep all the crushed garlic for the sauce.

    Uses 1–2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

13. 13

    Step 13: Shake or stir the tahini (3 tbsp) jar, then mix 2 1/2 cups plain yogurt, 3 tbsp tahini, juice freshly squeezed from the lemon, all the crushed garlic and the separate 1/4 tsp sauce salt. If needed, add a few spoonfuls of the remaining strained stock to make a pourable sauce, like pancake batter. Keep the sauce separate until serving.

    Uses 2 1/2 cups plain yogurt · 3 tbsp tahini · Fresh juice from1lemon, excluding peel and seeds · Crushed garlic for the sauce · 1/4 tsp salt for the yogurt sauce · Optional few spoonfuls of remaining clear stock, excluding the1½cups used for rice

14. 14

    Step 14: Just before assembling for the waiting diners, put all 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup pine nuts into a small pan over low heat. Watch continuously as the butter melts and starts to foam and the nuts toast. Prepare to take it off as soon as the butter turns golden brown; do not leave this pan unattended while assembling.

    Uses 1/4 cup butter · 1/4 cup pine nuts

15. 15

    Step 15: While keeping the low-heat butter pan in view, spoon the warm cooked rice across the base of a large serving dish.

    Uses Tender warm rice cooked in strained chicken stock

16. 16

    Step 16: Layer the crisp, drained flatbread over the rice, then add all the shredded cooked chicken. Keep the yogurt sauce separate for now and continue watching the butter pan.

    Uses Warm rice arranged in the serving dish · Crisp drained flatbread pieces · Fully cooked shredded chicken

17. 17

    Step 17: As soon as the butter foams, swirl the pan carefully to see its colour. When golden brown and nutty, take the pan off the heat immediately before the butter or pine nuts burn.

    Uses Melting butter with pine nuts to finish browning

18. 18

    Step 18: With everyone ready to eat, spoon the yogurt-tahini sauce over the layered chicken, bread and rice. Drizzle all the freshly browned butter and toasted pine nuts over the top.

    Uses Layered warm rice, crisp bread and cooked shredded chicken · Pourable yogurt-tahini sauce · Golden brown butter and toasted pine nuts

19. 19

    Step 19: Serve immediately as 6 portions, while the chicken and rice are warm and the bread still crisp. Do not delay after adding the yogurt sauce, as it softens the bread.

    Uses Freshly finished chicken fatteh