Tah-chin

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 6 chicken breast fillets or equivalent turkey schnitzel, chicken thighs (skinned) or lamb chops
• 2 cups of yogurt (coffee cup, approx. 450 g)
• 2 egg yolks
• 3 cups of rice (coffee cup, approx. 750 g)
• lots of water
• ¼ tsp saffron threads
• some water to dissolve
• salt and pepper
• Spice mix, Persian (Adwie) or turmeric or very mild curry
• 2 tbsp butter

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 8 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes; Total time approx. 10 hours

Persian rice with chicken steamed in yogurt and saffron

Grind the saffron in a mortar and mortar and dissolve it in a little hot water. Mix the yogurt with the egg yolk and saffron, and marinate the meat in it for a few hours, or preferably overnight. Cook the rice in plenty of water, then drain it into a sieve. It should still be fairly firm so that it absorbs the moisture from the yogurt and doesn’t become mushy. Remove the meat from the yogurt and scrape off some of the excess fat, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with a little adzuki, then set aside. Season the yogurt with salt and pepper. Stir 3/5 or 2/3 of the cooked rice into the yogurt-egg-saffron mixture. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan, add the yogurt-rice, and scrape it up the sides a little to create a depression for the meat. Add the meat (raw!) and cover with the remaining (white) rice. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke a few steam holes in the rice. Place a napkin or kitchen towel between the pan and the lid and close tightly. Steam on the lowest heat for about 1.5 hours. Before serving, rinse the bottom of the pot with cold water and turn the dish out onto a large plate or round serving platter. For thick cuts of meat, such as chicken thighs, it’s recommended to sear the meat before steaming. Thinner cuts will cook naturally in the steam. This dish is great in a rice cooker! Cucumber yogurt (tzatziki) is a recommended side dish.