Recipe: Zarda Palau (Sweet Rice with Orange and Chicken) Afghani recipe

Zarda Palau (Sweet Rice with Orange and Chicken)
Source: An Afghani recipe from The Complete Middle East Cookbook, Tess Mallos,
(Weldon)

1 tbl Salt
2 cup Washed long grain rice
2 Oranges
1 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Oil
1/2 cup Blanched almond slivers
2 47/250 lb Chicken breasts
Salt, pepper
1 med Onion
1/2 cup Pistachios (optional, but strongly recommended)

Put 8 cups water + 1 tbs salt on to boil then add 2 cups washed long grain rice boil 10 mins then drain and rinse.

Meanwhile: Cut rind of 2 oranges into thin strips. Boil in 1 cup water 5 mins. drain, discard water.

Dissolve 1 cup sugar in 2 cups hot water. Add to rind and boil until slightly thick ( 5 mins). Place rice in large bowl, and pour hot syrup(reserving peel) over rice and toss through.

In 1 tbs oil, fry 1/2 cup blanched almond slivers until golden. Remove and save almonds. If needed add a little more oil/ghee, brown chicken breasts(cut into 3 inch chunks) on all sides.

Remove chicken, season and save. Add another tbs oil and fry 1 medium sliced onion until soft, then add 1 cup water to lift pan juices. Add 1 tsp allspice and then replace chicken.

Simmer 20 mins.

In large well-oiled casserole dish, place 1/2 the rice. Then the chicken pieces, then a layer of: 1/2 the almonds and the reserved rind slivers.

Layer of: 1/2 the almonds and the reserved chicken.

Spread the remaining rice over the top and pour the liquid and onions from the chicken evenly over the top, cover, bake in medium oven for 30 mins.

Arrange for serving in large high-walled serving dish as follows: The top layer of rice around the edges - built up with a hole in the centre to be filled by the lower layer of rice. The chicken over the rice and the rind and both lots of almonds sprinkle over. Optionally sprinkle pistachios.