Chicken with Caramelized Onion and Cardamom Rice

I went to our mailbox back in February of this year and discovered a lovely new cookbook inside. Wonderful! The thing is...I don't remember ordering it. At all. Panic set in. The first few thoughts that ran through my head were a) someone has stolen my credit card and sent me a lovely new cookbook (because that's obviously what thieves do when they steal your credit card right?!?)  b) I have early on-set dementia c) I clearly have been ordering way too much on-line d) perhaps I need to attend an AA meeting. Or e) All of the above. After a few minutes of looking through all the amazing recipes and beautiful mouth-watering pictures, I began to calm down and not really care about how I came about having this amazing book in my possession. Eventually, 100 pages in or what seemed like it,  a card written by my niece and her husband fell out from between the pages. Thank goodness. 

Turns out that they had sent me and the sous chef this wonderful cookbook as a thank you. Awwww. How lovely! I am just thankful that no one has stolen my credit card, I do not have early onset dementia, and that I don't need to attend an AA meeting. My recent on-line ordering habits are still up for debate. Thank you Haley and Andy. You get me. It's a gift that will keep on giving (But I really did want to keep that tuque...it looked good on me. Just saying.)

Or maybe it didn't in retrospect. Oh dear.

Speaking of on-line ordering habits, this book did spur on my interest in new (to me) flavourful herbs and spices. Thank goodness for the inter web and all of its many wonders. You can actually buy a whole Ottolenghi Spice Box from the Spice Trader so you don't even have to think about it. Perfect! But I went a different route by picking out individual spices from the Silk Road Spice Merchants. I like a challenge and the ability to make choices. Makes me feel powerful, even if it's somewhat illusionary.

And I hate to admit it with me being the worldly cook that I am (Ha!), but I had never heard of this Ottolenghi fellow before. Take a peak at my other blog post about oh she glows and you will know that I have  indeed been living under a rock somewhere for quite some time. Seriously. What is wrong with me?! That could take awhile to answer. As soon as I posted about my "new find" I had countless friends telling me how much they loved Ottolenghi (he's so famous he only needs to be referred to by his last name.) They shared with me their most favourite recipes: Mejadra (oh my lentils!), Cod Cakes in Tomato sauce (Oh my goodness!) ...and this one... Chicken with Caramelized Onion and Cardamom Rice (Oh my heavens!)  Yes I am a convert now to the Cult of Ottolenghi. And yes all of his recipes do take a number of ingredients and yes they also do take some time to cook. But honestly what else are you going to do on a Saturday night when you are a married 40 something year old but spend a few hours making a most lovely and amazing dinner to share with your significant other whilst sipping some lovely red happy juice and listening to some great tunes. Heavenly. At least to me anyways. 

I loved this recipe so much that when we went back to the homestead  (aka where I grew up)  to visit the parentals, this was the meal that I chose to make for them ( I thought that since they've spent many many years cooking for me the least I can do is now cook for them when I can.) Since it wasn't curry I figured that it would be a safe choice. The subtle savoury flavour of this dish won them over as it did me. 

If you live under a rock like I apparently do (I see you over there! Hello!) then  do yourself an immense favour by poking that little head out and trying something new and worldly. And if you've previously been introduced to the "World of Ottolenghi" then good on yah, pat yourself on the back, and now discover someone else new and exotic...and tell me all about it. It gets kinda dark and lonely under this rock sometimes ;-) Cheers from Bistro 164!

Chicken with Caramelized Onion and Cardamom Rice

from Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

For the chicken and rice:

3 tablespoons of sugar
3 tablespoons of water
2 1/2 tablespoons of barberries (you can sub currants)
4 tablespoons of olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
1 whole chicken, quartered, or 2 1/4 pounds of chicken thighs
10 green cardamom pods
rounded 1/4 teaspoon of whole cloves
4 cinnamon sticks (or 2 long, broken in half)
1 2/3 cup of basmati rice
2 1/4 cups of boiling water
1 1/2 tablespoons of flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup of dill, finely chopped
1/4 cup of cilantro leaves, finely chopped
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the yogurt sauce:

1/2 cup of Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons of olive oil

1. If you are using currants, skip this step. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and heat over medium until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the barberries. Allow the barberries to soak while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan. Add the onion and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it is golden and caramelized. Transfer onion to a small bowl.
3. Combine the chicken with salt, pepper, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, cardamom pods, cloves and cinnamon. Mix everything together with your hands.
4. Heat a large dutch oven over medium-high. Add the chicken, along with the spices, to the pot and cook for 5 minutes on each side. You want it to get golden, and for the skin to crisp up a bit. Use a pair of tongs to remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
5. Add the rice, caramelized onion, salt, and pepper to the dutch oven. Stir until the rice is coated in the oil/leftover chicken fat. Drain the barberries and add them to the pot. If you are using currents, add them in at this stage. Stir and then re-add the chicken to the pot, tucking it into the rice.
6. Add the boiling water, cover, and dial down the heat to low. Continue cooking, over very low heat, for 30 minutes.
7. After 30 minutes, remove the pan from the heat, take off the lid and place a tea towel over the pot. Replace the lid and let sit for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, use a spoon to stir the olive oil into the yogurt and set aside.
8. Stir in the herbs and use a fork to fluff the rice. Season with more salt and pepper, if desired. Transfer to a serving bowl. Enjoy this dish hot or warm, with a few dollops of yogurt sauce.

Enjoying dinner with the Parentals