Have all your ingredients measured out and ready to go, pull out the tools you need (list below). This prep is referred to as mise en place. You do not need to prep your ingredients EXCEPT your rice. Please rinse your rice in a colander under cold water until the water runs clear.
Equipment List:
Large mixing bowl to mix ingredients with your chicken
Med sauté pan with a lid (if you don't have a lid you can use tin foil)
Large non-stick pot (with lid) to cook rice, if you don't have non-stick please cut out a piece of parchment paper that is slightly bigger than the bottom inside of your pot.
Colander
Kettle (to boil water)
Clean dish towel (to wrap the lid for your rice pot)
1 large serving platter (should be larger than the diameter of your rice pot.
Salad bowl or med size bowl
measuring cup 1/2 c measure
measuring spoons
tongs or wooden spoon for sautéing chicken
Cocktail Ingredient List About ¼ C lemon juice (approx 2 lemons juiced) Persian Vodka (reg vodka works too) Rosewater (if you can’t find it, don’t worry about it) Rose Petals (not from the garden, these rose petals you can find at any Persian grocer and are not necessary) Sugar (about 1-2 Tbsp for the rim of the glass) Martini shaker Ice (optional) Highball glass
Non-alcoholic drink: ¼ C pomegranate juice 3/4 C soda water Ice Highball glass Rose petals and sugar (as per above) Rosewater as per above
Marinade the chicken pieces with all the ingredients except cinnamon. Put pinch of saffron in a small jar or heat proof dish and add your hot water. Let it sit for a few minutes and then add 2-3 Tbsp of the “brew” to the chicken and rest of the ingredients.
Fry chicken pieces in the pan for 10-15 minutes, you can add a little bit of butter. With lid on pan
Check chicken and let the chickens cook for another 15 min with lid on
Remove the lid and let the water evaporate a little.
Towards the end add cinnamon
And just before serving it you can add the pistachio slivers.
Persian Rice
Wash the rice until the water is clear, in a large non stick pot fill 2/3 of your pot with water and bring to the boil, add 2-3 Tbsp of salt and bring back to a boil, add the rice.
Let rice boil for 5-7 minutes or until the rice grains are coming to the surface, then drain the rice and rinse with cold water.
At this time, if you are not using a non-stick pan, take a piece of parchment paper that will fit in the bottom of your pot. Scrunch it up in a ball and then open it up and place it on the bottom of your pot (do this step if you want to have Tahdig - the crispy rice on the bottom of your rice).
At the bottom of the pot (or on top of your parchment) add 1-2 Tbsp of oil, butter or even better Ghee (clarified butter), 2 Tbsp from your saffron brew and ¼ cup water, place the rice on top of the mixture, wrap the lid of the pot with a dish towel and cover the pot with the lid and let cook for 3-5 mins at medium heat and then lower to low and cook for 60 min.
You need to keep an eye on your rice, don't be afraid to check it, if it is starting to look dry add 1/4 C of water. The longer the rice can steam at a low heat the better chance for your Tahdig.
When the rice is cooked remove it from the heat and let it cool for 3 minutes.
Choose a big serving platter, and put it over top of the pot and then flip it, the rice should come out just like sand in a bucket when you build sandcastles.
There are different ways to present this meal. Leila will show you some options in your upcoming cooking class.
Simple Shirazi Salad
Chop your cucumber, tomato and onion into small pieces and add to your salad bowl.
Squeeze lemon juice on vegetables and add 2-3 Tbsp of olive oil, season to taste mix and serve at the same time as the rice and chicken.
Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a pan or small pot and fry carrot and orange peel, add cinnamon and cardamom and ½ C of sugar a drop of saffron.
Add ¼ C of water and cook over medium heat for 7-10 minutes.
Recipe Note
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These recipes are intended for the participants of this cooking class.
