|
Ingredients
|
Quantity
|
|
For the
rice stuffing:
|
|
|
Basmati or good quality long grain rice
|
½ cup
|
|
Small onion – chopped fine
|
1
|
|
Pine nuts or blanched and silvered almonds
|
¼ cup
|
|
Walnuts – chopped
|
30gms
|
|
Sultanas (or white raisins)
|
¼ cup
|
|
Baharat or allspice
|
½ tsp
|
|
Water
|
160ml
|
|
Black pepper and salt
|
to taste
|
|
To
finish:
|
|
|
Chicken
|
1
|
|
Freshly ground black pepper
|
to
taste
|
|
Water or light stock
|
80ml
|
Clean and wash the rice until the water runs clear. Drain well.
Heat ghee in a pan. Add onion and fry gently until transparent. Stir in pine
nuts or almonds, walnuts and rice and fry for five minutes, stirring often. Add
sultanas, baharat, water, salt and pepper to taste. Stir well. Cover and cook
on low heat for 10 minutes until all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat
and cool. Clean chicken and wipe dry with paper towels. Fill cavity with rice stuffing
and truss. Rub the chicken with salt and pepper.
Melt butter or ghee in a baking dish. Place the chicken in it and
baste well with the butter or ghee. Add water or stock to the baking dish and
roast the chicken in a moderately hot oven for two-and-a-half hours, basting
often with juices in the dish. Serve the chicken, cut into portions, with the
stuffing piled in the center of the platter. Juices in the baking dish may be skimmed,
diluted with a little stock, brought to the boil and served separately in a jug
