Yasmin Fahr's warm chicken and rice

Serves 4 Starters and mains

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Method

Season the chicken all over with salt, pepper and cumin. Heat 2tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan with a tight-fitting lid over a medium-high heat until very hot – less of a gentle, wavy shimmer and more like aggressive lava when you move the pan. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook for around 4-7 minutes without moving it until it easily releases from the pan, and the skin is crispy and well browned. (Test the chicken at 4 minutes to check its resistance.) Flip and brown the other side – around 3-6 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Meanwhile, in the bottom of a small metal or sturdy bowl, grind the saffron and mix with 1tbsp hot water, until dissolved.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the chicken stock to the same pan, scraping up anything stuck to the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add the rice, juice of 1 lemon and saffron water, then season with salt and stir to combine. There will probably be a little fat in the pan, which is great. If it’s charred or black though, rinse it out quickly and add 1tbsp of the oil to the rice/stock mixture.

Cover with the lid, bring the liquid to an active boil and then lower the heat to maintain an active simmer. Remove the lid and lay the chicken, skin-side up, carefully on top. Cover and cook for around 15-20 minutes, until the rice is tender, most of the liquid has been absorbed and the chicken has finished cooking.

Remove the rice from the heat, fluff with a fork, cover and let it sit for a few minutes while you prep the herbs. Divide between plates and finish with plenty of pepper. Top with the herbs and serve with lemon wedges to squeeze.

This recipe was taken from the April 2020 issue of Food and Travel.

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