Rice Cooker Chicken Za'atar

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Rice Cooker Chicken Za'atar

Ingredient Notes

Chicken thighs:

I use thighs as hey stay juicy and tender through 30 minutes of steam. If you prefer chicken breast over thighs, cut them into thick strips so they don't dry out during the steaming process. If you want to avoid chicken altogether you can use a white fish or tofu. Make sure you still season them with the Za’atar before cooking.

Za’atar:

A dried herb and sesame blend, and the sumac in it is what brings the sourness. If you don’t have any, mix equal parts dried thyme, toasted sesame seeds, sumac and ground coriander ands it will be pretty close. No sumac either? you can use lemon zest can instead for the sharpness.

Currants:

These add sweetness to the dish which balances the salt and the sour sumac. If you don't have currants, dried apricots chopped small, cranberries or sultanas also work.

Ingredients

½ cup basmati rice
1 cinnamon stick
1 pinch saffron
½ lemon, juice and zest
1 ½ tbsp currants
1 ½ tbsp pine nuts
2 boneless chicken thighs
1 tbsp Za’atar
¼ bunch parsley
1 tsp softened butter
salt to taste

Equipment

Rice cooker
Chopping board
Chef’s knife
Small tray
Microplane or fine grater
Measuring cup
Rice paddle
Tongs

Directions

Add the rice to a rice cooker bowl, rinse twice under cold water and drain well. Add half a cup of fresh water to the rice cooker with ¼ tsp of salt, a pinch of saffron, currants, a cinnamon stick and the juice of half a lemon.
Place the chicken thighs on a tray and liberally season with salt, pepper, and Za’atar. Place on top of the rice in a single layer.
Close the lid to the rice cooker and place on a standard rice cycle. In the meantime, finely slice the parsley leaves and set aside.
Once cooked, remove the chicken and cinnamon from the cooker. Add a small handful of pine nuts, the zest of half a lemon, butter and half of the finely sliced parsley. Stir it through the rice, then serve with the chicken on the side. Garnish with the remaining sliced parsley and enjoy.

Notes

Chef Tips

Lay the chicken on top in a single layer

As the chicken is steaming, it needs the steam to reach all of it evenly. Sitting it on top also means the juices and the rendered fat drip straight down into the rice, which adds more seasoning to your rice.

Finish it off the heat

The lemon zest, butter, pine nuts and parsley all go in once the cycle has finished and the chicken is out. Zest and parsley lose their aromatics with sustained heat, and the butter just needs to melt into the hot rice rather than cook. Stir it through, put the lid back on for a minute, and serve.

Storage

Best eaten straight away. If you do have leftovers, cool them quickly, keep the rice and chicken in a sealed container in the fridge and eat them within a couple of days, and reheat until piping hot all the way through.

FAQs

What if I don’t have saffron?

Use ¼ tsp of turmeric powder instead, or just leave it out. Saffron is adding colour and a bit of perfume here, and the dish still works without it.

How do I make it taste more savoury?

Swap the water for chicken stock, or drop half a stock cube in once the water goes in. That gives you a meatier, rounder base under the saffron and lemon. Worth doing if you’re using fish or tofu instead of chicken, since you lose the drippings.

Is it gluten free?

As written, yes. Rice, chicken, spices and dried fruit are all naturally gluten free. The one thing to check is your za’atar, because some commercial blends use wheat flour or breadcrumbs as a bulking agent.