Stuffed Chicken
This is a Syrian stuffed chicken recipe: the chicken is first soaked in water with salt, sugar, dried coriander, and crushed peppercorns, then dried and seasoned with salt, pepper, dried coriander, cardamom, smoked paprika, lemon, and olive oil. The rice stuffing is prepared in a pot with butter or ghee and pine nuts, then rice, spices, canned chickpeas, and water are added until the rice is half cooked. The chicken is then stuffed with the rice and sealed, placed inside an oven bag, and baked in the oven at 180 to 200°C for 1 to 1½ hours, then browned on top.
A chicken dish where the chicken is stuffed before cooking.
Like roasted chicken with a filling inside.
Make sure the stuffing is cooked through and the chicken reaches a safe temperature.
Ingredients
- 2 kg chicken
- 2 liters water
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- as described crushed dried coriander
- as described crushed peppercorns
- 2 teaspoons salt for the seasoning
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 piece lemon
- a little olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter or ghee
- a little pine nuts
- 3½ cups long-grain rice
- 1 teaspoon salt for the rice
- ½ teaspoon pepper for the rice
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- a pinch nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- 200 g canned chickpeas
Instructions
- Place the chicken in the soaking bowl with 2 liters water, 2 tablespoons salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, crushed dried coriander, and crushed peppercorns, then leave it in the bowl overnight until the next day.
- Drain the chicken from the soaking bowl, then pat it very well with paper towels and dry it before seasoning.
- Place the chicken in the seasoning bowl, then add 2 teaspoons salt for every 2 kg chicken, ½ teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon dried coriander, ½ teaspoon ground cardamom, and 1 teaspoon smoked paprika.
- Cut the lemon in a plate, then place it over the chicken with a little olive oil. Rub the chicken well with your hands, inside and out, in the bowl.
- Put the butter or ghee in a pot, then toast a little pine nuts in it.
- Add 3½ cups long-grain rice to the pot, then add 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon cloves. Toast the spices with the rice in the pot.
- Add 200 g canned chickpeas to the pot, then stir them with the rice and spices.
- Add water to the pot until it reaches approximately the level of the rice, then leave the pot over low heat until the rice water dries up and the rice is half cooked.
- Spread part of the half-cooked rice on a plate or in a bowl until it cools to room temperature, then leave the other part of the rice in the pot to cook later underneath the chicken.
- Soak the toothpicks or wooden skewers in water before using them.
- Stuff the chicken with the half-cooked rice, then seal it with the toothpicks, skewers, or string.
- Place the stuffed chicken inside an oven bag, then tie the bag securely.
- Place the chicken in the oven on the lowest rack at 180 to 200°C for 1 to 1½ hours, depending on its size and weight.
- Broil the top of the chicken in the oven for several minutes after removing it from the oven bag.