Authentic Chicken Pilaf Recipe by Ella Mittas -

This is my take on the chicken pilaf we’d buy from street vendors on our way home after nights out. It was the best part of going for a drink. Street food was my highlight of living in the city —buying roasted chestnuts in the snow; going to get a morning simit, a ring-shaped bread covered in sesame, served wrapped in newspaper—always such a treat, always such an event. This dish is best served on the day of making it.

Images and text from Ela! Ela! By Ella Mittas, photography by Ella Mittas.

Ingredients (serves 6)

To poach the chicken:

3 chicken marylands

6 cups (1.5 litre) water

table salt

For the pilaf:

1⁄4 cup (35 g) slivered almonds

4 tbsp butter

3 cups (600 g) aged basmati rice

1 brown onion, diced

2 tsp cinnamon

5 cups (1.25 litres) chicken stock, from the poaching

2 tbsp lemon juice

1⁄4 cup (5 g) parsley, chopped

flake salt to taste

Method

Start by placing the chicken marylands in a pot and cover them with water. You want to use around 6 cups (1 litre), so choose a pot that will allow them to be submerged with that volume of liquid.
Salt the water with 2 tablespoons of table salt, bring up to a boil, then turn down to a soft simmer.
Cook until just past pink, around 25–30 minutes, then take off the heat, leaving the chicken to continue cooking in the hot liquid.
Once the stock is cooled, put to one side and shred the chicken.
Fry off the almonds in 1 tablespoon of the butter over low heat until golden. Then drain on a paper towel to get rid of excess butter. Leave to one side.
Soak rice in cold water for 20 minutes, then drain well.
Put a large frying pan on medium heat and add 1 tablespoon butter. Once it’s melted, add the onion, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Cook until the onions are caramelised: 15–20 minutes.
Add the drained rice and fry off until well coated in butter. While you’re doing this, bring the stock up to the boil in another pot.
Slowly add 3 cups (750 ml) of stock to the rice, bringing the liquid up to a soft simmer. Cover with a lid and cook until the stock is absorbed, checking every couple of minutes.
Add remaining stock in increments, checking rice as you go.
Once the rice is cooked through (this will take 15–20 minutes), take off the heat and leave to steam for 5 minutes, with the lid on.
Stir through shredded chicken, the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, lemon juice and chopped parsley, and check for seasoning.
Serve immediately, garnished with almonds.