This recipe is comfort food at its finest.
Whether you're in need of comfort food or a midweek meal that will give you enough leftovers to enjoy the next day, then this exclusive recipe is perfect for you. Try it out below and enjoy.
Pot-roasted chicken with paprika, preserved lemons, balsamic and pilaf
Serves 4
"Preserved lemons are often available from good delicatessens. To make your own, cut a cross vertically through each lemon and stuff with sea salt. Push into preserving jars, top with more lemon juice, seal and set aside for at least 10 days. You use the skin, not the flesh, which should be discarded" - Hugo Arnold
Ingredients
1 chicken
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 head garlic, broken into cloves but unpeeled
1 tablespoon preserved lemons
70ml balsamic vinegar
1 litre chicken stock
For the pilaf
500g basmati rice
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cinnamon stick
4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
2 cloves
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
Method
- Preheat the oven to 220ºC/gas mark 7. Rub the chicken well with olive oil and season with salt and pepper and the paprika. Place in an open casserole dish, add the garlic cloves, preserved lemon, the balsamic and 400ml water and place in the oven for 30 minutes, basting frequently.
- Bring the chicken stock to the boil and add to the casserole, lower the oven temperature to 180ºC/gas mark 4 and cook for an additional 45 minutes, or until the chicken is done.
- Strain off the chicken stock, leaving the chicken, preserved lemon and garlic in the casserole, which should be covered and kept warm. Reduce the stock by at least half and check seasoning.
- For the pilaf, wash the rice in plenty of water and drain. Boil a kettle of water. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan and, when hot, lightly sauté the whole spices for one minute. Add the drained rice and coat well in the hot oil for two minutes. Add 1 litre of boiling water, season with salt, stir so none of the rice is sticking, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until tender. You need to stir the rice two or three times at the beginning and, if things look like drying out, add a little more boiling water, not too much though, or the rice will be soggy. When it is cooked, fl uff up with a fork, cover and set aside until needed.
- Roughly carve up the chicken, arrange on a large plate along with the reduced stock, preserved lemons and garlic and serve with the pilaf.
Recipe by Hugo Arnold
Photography by Nathan Dumlao via Unsplash
