Masterpiece Recipes-Turkish Cuisine: Baked Chicken and Rice

Alright, this is the first recipe that I send for my blog. I can say that it's one of my very favorites. It's a very good option as main course, should be served with a salad or some steamed vegetables since it's not so light. Here take a look at it, yummy ;-)

Baked Chicken and Rice

Baked Chicken and Rice
Origin: Turkish, Arabic
Difficulty: Moderate

Ingredients:

Filling:
- (Must) A whole medium chicken (1.4 kg or equivalently 3 Ibs), boiled, remove skin and bones, shredded, keep broth / Alternatively you may use 4 chicken breasts (skinless).
- (Must) Two cups rice, rinsed and drained.
- (Depends) 3 tbsp butter / If you use whole chicken don't add butter since your broth will already contain lots of fat, for chicken breast you would better use some butter for a better taste.
- (Optional) 3/4 cup pine nuts, notice that pine nuts may be expensive but it's the original / you may use alternatively slivered almonds / boiled or baked chestnuts / for a different taste try pistachio
- (Optional) Chicken or lamb liver (250 gr. or equivalently 0.5 Ibs), fired with some butter,
- (Optional) 1/2 cup dried blackcurrant (gives a little sweet taste).
- (Optional)Salt and spices: 1 tsp pepper, 1 tsp allspice and for an Arabic taste 1 tbs cinnamon.
- (Optional) Carrot, mushroom or paprika (Just if you wish but not suggested), sliced, scorched.

Paste:
Note: Easier alternative is using readymade phyllo pastry, if so skip this part
-(Must) 2 eggs.
-(Must) 2 cups all purpose flour.
-(Must) Butter (125 gr. or equivalently 0.3 Ibs).
-(Must) Baking powder (1 packet or 1 tsp)
-(Depends) Milk, 0-5 tbsp, depends on stiffness of paste.
-(Optional) Almonds, for a better look as you may see from picture above.

Directions:
- First prepare the filling: In a sufficiently large pan, add all ingredients of filling. Here is the secret of cooking rice: For each cup of rice add 1.5 cup of water/broth. For the recipe you need to add 3 cups of broth. Remember, if you use whole chicken additionally add some fat of the broth to pan that corresponds conformable amount of butter. In a medium/high heat get water boiled and when it starts to boil decrease heat to low. Cook until drained (generally takes 20 minutes).

- Secondly prepare the paste: In a bowl or mixer combine all ingredients of paste, knead until dough forms a solid ball. If dough is sticky add additional flour, if dough is dry add more milk, 1 tbsp at a time. Scrape the dough onto lightly floured surface, separate into two pieces one is small and the other one is bigger. You are going to place large one onto your cake tin to stuff with filling and cover the upper part with the smaller. Roll the big dough large enough that it can contain and cover all filling in your cake tin. Then roll the smaller one in the size of your cake tin.

- If you use almonds as dressing, first scatter them, and then gently place rolled dough or phyllo pastry on the greased cake tin. Dough must be larger than cake tin and slop out. Stuff with filling and then cover fillings with overflowing dough. Cook in 180C/350F about an hour until it's nicely roasted. Remove from the tin and serve hot. Bon appetit!