Barberry rice with chicken (Zereskh polo ba morgh)

Instructions

1. Prepare the chicken first by rinsing the chicken marylands. Place in a bowl of well-salted cold water and refrigerate for 1 hour. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. When ready to cook, heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan. Add 2 tsp turmeric, followed by the chicken. Fry on both sides until browned, seasoning the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides as it cooks. Once browned, remove to a plate and set aside.
2. Add another drizzle of oil to the pan. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until browned. Add 1 tsp turmeric and the tomato paste. Add an extra drizzle of oil to prevent the tomato paste from burning. Cook for a further 1-2 minutes, then stir through ½ tsp black pepper, 1 tbsp salt, followed by the boiling water. Once it reaches a simmer, return the chicken to the pan with the cinnamon and 2 tbsp of the saffron water. Turn the chicken to coat in the sauce, then cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 40 minutes. Occasionally uncover and spoon the sauce over the chicken.
3. While the chicken is cooking, bring a large saucepan of water with ¼ cup salt to the boil. Add the drained rice with 1 tbsp oil. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the rice has expanded and is around 80% cooked. Drain the rice in a fine mesh sieve and rinse with cold water.
4. Return the pan that boiled the rice to a medium heat with 3 tbsp oil and 1 tsp saffron water. Return the drained rice to the pan and poke a few holes in the rice with the handle of a wooden spoon (this allows the steam to escape during the cooking process). Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, wrap the lid in a tea towel to help absorb any moisture, then cook for a further 20 minutes.
5. After 40 minutes of chicken cook time has elapsed, add an extra 2 tbsp saffron water and the lemon juice to the pan with the chicken, then increase the heat to medium-high. Turn the chicken and cook for a further 15 minutes.
6. To finish, prepare the barberry mixture. Melt the butter for the barberries in a small saucepan. Add the soaked barberries and mix for 1 minute, then stir through the sugar. Add 1 tbsp saffron water to the barberries, then cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the barberry mixture with 1 cup of cooked rice.
7. Transfer the chicken to a large serving platter. Spoon the cooked white rice onto a large serving platter, then decorate the top with the barberry rice mixture and serve the zereskh polo ba morgh.