Chicken Pilaf Atzem (Epirus Style)
Submitted by sfireeyes
Traditional Greek chicken pilaf from the Epirus region. Bone-in chicken sautéed in butter with onion, simmered with cinnamon and tomato sauce, then finished with rice that absorbs every drop of flavor.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
60 minREADY
80 minStraight from the mountains of northwestern Greece, this is village cooking at its finest.
A whole chicken gets cut into pieces, browned in butter with diced onion, then simmered with a cinnamon stick and tomato sauce until the meat is fall-apart tender.
The braising liquid becomes the cooking broth for long-grain rice, which soaks up every bit of that cinnamon-tomato richness.
The final trick? Drape a dry towel over the pot after cooking to absorb excess steam and keep the rice fluffy, not sticky. That’s the Epirus way.
Kitchen Tips
- Use bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces for the richest flavor. The bones add body to the broth that rice loves.
- Measure the braising liquid before adding the rice. You need exactly 3 cups for the rice to cook properly, so add water if you’re short.
- Leave the lid off while the rice cooks so the liquid evaporates evenly and you get distinct grains, not a mushy mess.
- The cinnamon stick is traditional and adds a warm, subtle sweetness. Don’t substitute ground cinnamon, it’s too strong and will make the dish taste like dessert.
Ingredients
Directions
Wash, dry and cut the chicken into serving pieces.
In an attractive cooking-serving casserole, heat the butter, and sauté the chicken and the onion, turning the chicken pieces constantly.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then add cinnamon stick, tomato sauce, and enough water to almost cover the meat.
Cover and simmer on top of the stove or bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees F) for 40 minutes.
Pour out the liquid, measure, and if necessary add enough water to make 3 cups.
Pour back into the casserole, add the rice and shake the pan a few times to mix the rice in.
Continue cooking, uncovered, for 20 minutes longer, or until all the liquid has been absorbed by the rice.
Remove from the heat and drape with a dry towel for 5 minutes.
Serve hot.
Comments
