Sharkassieh

Ingredients

• 1 Chicken, Whole
• 1 Carrot
• 1 stick Celery
• 1 Large Onion
• 2 clove Garlic Cloves
• 3 Bay Leaves
• 4 Cardamom Pods
• 3 Cloves
• 5 Black Pepper Corns, Whole
• 1 tsp Sea Salt
• 1 piece Chicken Stock Cube
• Garlic Powder
• 1 Parsley, Fresh chopped
• 1 Medium Onion
• 150 g Walnuts
• 4 slice White Bread
• 175 ml Double Cream
• Nutmeg
• 1 cup Sunwhite Medium Grain Rice
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1 tsp Cardamon Powder
• 0.5 tbsp Butter
• 1 tbsp Oil

Method

1. Begin by preparing the chicken. Give it a thorough wash and trim off any excess fat. Place the chicken in a large pot along with the stock cube, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bay leaves, cardamom pods, cloves, black pepper corns, and salt.
2. Cover the chicken with water and heat it up gently until it starts to boil. Then, lower the heat and let it simmer for 45-60 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
3. Once the chicken is cooked, take it out of the pot and transfer it to a roasting tray. Give it a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
4. Drizzle some olive oil over the chicken and roast it in a preheated oven for 10-20 minutes until it turns golden brown. Don't forget to baste it occasionally to keep it moist and flavorful.
5. Take the chicken stock that's left in the pot and taste it for seasoning. Adjust as needed, and let it simmer for another 20-30 minutes to intensify the flavors.
6. While the stock is simmering, finely slice some onions and fry them on medium heat until they turn golden brown. Adding a bit of brown sugar can help enhance their caramelization and flavor.
7. Now let's move on to making the walnut sauce. Remove the crust from a slice of bread and soak it in some of the chicken stock.
8. In a food processor, blend the walnuts until they turn into a smooth paste.
9. Add the soaked bread to the walnut paste and blend again until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy.
10. Gradually pour some of the chicken stock into the blender while you keep blending until everything is well combined.
11. Sieve the mixture into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Add more chicken stock if it's too thick.
12. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning as needed. A pinch of paprika and nutmeg can give it a nice kick.
13. When you're ready to serve, add some cream to the sauce and warm it up.
14. For the rice, start by melting some butter in a bit of oil. Add the rice, a pinch of salt, and 1 tsp of cardamom powder.
15. Fry the rice until the grains turn opaque, then add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of the chicken stock. Cover the pot and cook the rice on low heat for 15-20 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked through.
16. To serve, plate the chicken and rice in a dark pot. Pour some of the walnut sauce over the chicken, sprinkle some chopped walnuts on top, and add a little parsley for a pop of color.