Recipe: Turkish Style Chicken

TURKISH STYLE CHICKEN

2 tablespoons white raisins
boiling water
2 cups chicken broth preferably homemade
1 (4 lb) chicken, cut in 12 pieces (only legs, thighs, breast and wings)
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions finely chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1 bay leaf, crushed
1 tablespoon coriander seed, ground
1 lb long-grain white rice (uncooked)
2 bell peppers, finely diced
3 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon saffron
1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and diced
Tabasco sauce to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Pour boiling water over raisins and set aside to soak for 30 minutes.

Remove the skin from chicken pieces. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook in oil. Remove pieces as they brown. They should be almost cooked at this point. If they are not, turn down heat and continue cooking.

Add onions to the oil left in the pan and cook until soft.

Add garlic, bay leaf and ground coriander. Stir in rice until well coated with the oil. Add bell peppers and cook a few minutes.

Stir in tomatoes, cumin and saffron. Drain soaked raisins and add to mixture. Return chicken pieces to pan.

Heat chicken stock to a boil and pour into pan. Cover pan. Turn down heat and simmer 10 minutes.

Add olives and continue simmering 10 to 15 minutes until rice is cooked.

Add some drops of Tabasco and salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.