Iranian Chicken With Rice (Morgh Polou) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 lbs broiler-fryer chickens, cut up
salt & pepper
1/4 cup butter or 1/4 cup ghee
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup dried apricot, chopped
1/2 cup raisins, sultanas
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon saffron thread
2 tablespoons water
4 cups cooked rice

Preparation

Season the chicken pieces with salt & pepper.
Using half the Ghee/butter brown the chicken, set aside.
Fry the onion until transparent in the remaining butter/ghee, add apricots & raisins cook 5 miniutes.
Stir in the cinnamon then add the 1/4 cup water to lift the browned sediment.
Place half the cooked rice in an oven proof dish placing the chicken on top.
Spread the apricot mixture over the chicken and top with remaining rice.
Cover the dish tightly and bake in 350 oven for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked & tender.
While the chicken is cooking mix the saffron with 2 tbsp boiling water, leave to steep.
Just before serving sprinkle saffron liquid over the top of the casserole , stir gently mixing the chicken, rice & saffron.
Serve heaped on a platter.