Sweet Jeweled Rice

Claudia Roden does it again with this elaborate, festive wedding dish from Iran.

2 whole chicken breasts, boned and sknned
6 T. butter or vegetable oil
Salt
2 C. Basmati Rice
1/3 c. dried pitted sour cherries
1/3 c. dried cranberries
1/3 c. barberries ("zereshk")
1/4 t. saffron powder or crushed saffron threads
1/4 c. candied orange peel or coase cut orange marmalade,chopped (opt.)
1/2 c. split blanched almonds
1/3 c. coarsely chopped or slivered pistachios

Sauté the chicken breasts in 2 T. butter or oil, turn once, sprinkle with salt until browned but juicy.
Cut each 1/2 breast into 6 slices.

Wash rice, sak sour cherries, cranberries, barberries for 15 min.

Throw drained rice in plenty of boily salted water and boil 10 min, until partly cooked, then drain.

Heat 2 T. oil or butter and stir in saffron.  Spread alternate layers of rice, chicken pieces, and the rest of the ingredients, ending with rice and sprinkle with salt.  Add remaining butter, cut in little pieces over the top.

Put on the lid and steam 20-30 minutes.

To serve, lower the bottom of the pan into cold water for a minute.  Then inver over a large platter and gently  mix the ingredients.  Serve the crusty bottom (a delicacy) on  another plate.  If you use a non-stick pan, you can turn out the whole rice dish so that the crusty bottom becomes the top.

Basmati Rice

Basmati Rice 

2 C. basmati

2 2/3 c. water

1 1/4 t. salt

3/4 t. ground turmeric

3-4 whole cloves

1@ cinnamon

3 bay leaves

3 T. unsalted butter, cut up.

Put rice in bowl and wash in several changes of water.  Drain. Pour 5 c. fresh water over rice and soak for 2 hour.  Drain.  Combine drained rice, 2 2/3 c. water, salt, turmeric, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves in heavy pot and boil.  Cover with tight lid and turn heat very low.  Cook 25 minutes.  Let pot sit, covered, undisturbed, 10 minutes more.  Add small pats of butter to rice and mix gently with a fork.  Don=t eat whole spices (can remove before serving)