Lebanese Rice with Chicken

Step 1

Begin by preparing your chicken. Remove the neck and giblets and pat the chicken dry with paper towels. In a large stockpot, place the whole chicken and pour enough water to cover it completely. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 2

When the chicken comes to a boil, skim any fat that rises to the top. Peel and cut the small onion in half and place in the pot along with the bay leaves and cloves. Cover halfway and let simmer on medium-high heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 1 hour.

Step 3

Remove the cooked chicken and set aside to cool. Once it has cooled enough to handle, shred the breasts into course chunks.

Step 4

Place the cooked chicken legs and wings on a baking pan and broil until golden brown and crispy on top. (This step is optional, you can shred these parts of the chicken with the breast if you prefer.)

Step 5

Add the vegetable oil to a pan and heat for 1-2 minutes on medium-high. Add the almonds and cook for 2-3 minutes, constantly mixing until golden brown. Repeat with remaining nuts and set aside.

Step 6

Rinse the rice 3 times or until the water runs clear. Drain the water and set aside.

Step 7

In a medium pot, add the ground beef and cook on medium heat until fully browned. Add the butter, salt, pepper, 7 spices and ground cinnamon and sauté for a few minutes.

Step 8

Add the washed rice in with the ground beef mixture and mix well. Measure 2 ¼ cups of the fresh chicken stock you made earlier, and pour into the pot of rice. Cook on medium-high heat until the rice comes to a boil then, lower the heat to medium-low and cover with a lid. Cook for 15 minutes until all the stock is absorbed.

Step 9

Empty the rice into a large serving platter. Sprinkle the nuts on top and shredded chicken. Serve with a side salad like fattoush or plain yogurt.