Chicken & Saffron Tahchin

📝 Ingredients

• 300 g basmati rice
• 1 sachet of ground saffron (0.1 g)
• 250 g 2% Greek yoghurt
• 2 eggs
• 500 g chicken breast
• 1 chicken stock cube + 500 ml hot water
• 2 brown onions
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 3 tbsp sunflower oil (1 for the onions, 2 for the dish)
• 15 g unsalted butter, melted (for the dish)
• 30 g dried cranberries
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Saucepan
• Large saucepan
• Frying pan
• Colander
• Mixing bowl
• 24 cm ovenproof glass dish

📖 Steps

1. Rinse the rice in several changes of water until the water runs almost clear, then leave to soak for 30 minutes in cold salted water. Dissolve the saffron in 3 tbsp hot water and leave it to infuse in the meantime.
2. Poach the chicken: put it in the saucepan with the stock (cube dissolved in 500 ml hot water), bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes over a low heat, without boiling. Leave it to cool for 5 minutes in the stock, then shred it with two forks.
3. Thinly slice the onions and fry them in 1 tbsp oil over a medium heat for 10 minutes, until nicely golden. Add the turmeric, shredded chicken and 4 tbsp of the cooking stock, season with salt and pepper and stir for 2 minutes.
4. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the drained rice and cook for 6 minutes: the grains should still be firm in the centre. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
5. In the mixing bowl, whisk the yoghurt, eggs, saffron water and ½ tsp salt, then add the rice and stir gently with a spoon to coat every grain without crushing them.
6. Pour 2 tbsp oil and the melted butter into the dish and spread over the base and sides: this is what creates the crust. Press half the rice in firmly, add the chicken in an even layer, then the rest of the rice, and press down with the back of a spoon.
7. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour, then remove the foil and continue for 15 to 20 minutes, until the base and sides are deep golden: the glass dish lets you check from underneath.
8. Leave to rest for 10 minutes, run a knife around the edges, place a large serving plate on top and flip it over in one confident movement. Soak the cranberries in hot water for 5 minutes to plump them up, drain and scatter over the crust before cutting into portions.