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Considered the national dish of Saudi Arabia, this spiced chicken-and-rice dinner couldn't have a more beautiful presentation—it's served with fried almonds and raisins, parsley sprigs, and a citrusy yogurt sauce.
Ingredients
For the Lemon Yogurt Sauce
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1 ½ cups plain whole-milk yogurt or labneh
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Zest and juice of 1 lemon
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2 tablespoons chopped fresh curly parsley
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Pinch of cayenne pepper
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Kosher salt
For the Chicken
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6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, plus 6 chicken drumsticks
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Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
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2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
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1 large onion, diced
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3 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
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2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
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½ cup grated carrot (about 1 medium carrot)
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1 teaspoon ground cumin
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1 teaspoon ground coriander
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½ teaspoon ground turmeric
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2 tomatoes, chopped
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2 tablespoons tomato paste
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3 strips orange zest, plus juice of 1 orange
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3 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
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5 cardamom pods, crushed
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4 whole cloves
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2 cinnamon sticks
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2 bay leaves
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1 ½ cups basmati rice, washed until water is clear then soaked in water to cover for 45 minutes
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2 cups safflower oil
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½ cup whole blanched almonds
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½ cup golden raisins
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½ cup curly parsley sprigs, for garnish
Directions
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Make the lemon yogurt sauce: In a medium bowl, stir to combine yogurt, lemon zest and juice, parsley, and cayenne. Season with salt; set aside.
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Make the chicken: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large high-sided saute pan or Dutch oven over medium-high. Working in batches, cook chicken, turning, until golden and crisp on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside.
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Reduce heat to medium and stir in onion, garlic, ginger, carrot, cumin, coriander, and turmeric. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, orange zest and juice, stock, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and bay leaves and bring to a simmer.
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Place browned chicken, skin-side up, in simmering liquid and transfer to oven for 25 minutes.
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Remove chicken from cooking liquid and place on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Reserve pan with cooking liquid. Reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees and transfer chicken to oven until cooked through, 18 to 20 minutes.
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To prepare the rice, heat pan with reserved cooking liquid over medium and bring to a simmer. Stir in rice, cover, and cook at a low simmer until rice is tender, 18 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and fluff with a fork to combine.
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Heat safflower oil in a small heavy-bottomed pot until a deep-fry thermometer reads 325 degrees. Add almonds and cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towel-lined plate to drain. Add raisins to pot and cook until puffed, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper-towel lined plate to drain.
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To serve, spoon rice onto a serving platter and top with chicken. Sprinkle with fried almonds and raisins, garnish with parsley, and serve with lemon yogurt sauce.
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