Poultry Recipes - Creamy Stuffed Chicken

Ingredients

• 2.5 cm/1 in ginger root

• 2 dried figs

• 1 chicken, skinned

• 225 g/1lb onions

• 450 g/1lb/2 cups ghee

• 5 ml/1 tsp aniseeds

• 15 ml/1 tbsp ground coriander (cilantro)

• 5 ml/ 1 tsp cumin seeds

• 5 ml/1 tsp black peppercorns

• 5 ml/1 tsp chili powder

• 6 cloves

• 2 cardamom pods

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 225 g/8 oz minced (ground) lamb

• pinch of saffron 8 salt

• 175 g/6 oz/3/4 cup long-grain rice, soaked

• 100 g/4 oz/2/3 cup raisins

• 12 pistachios

• 15 ml/1 tbsp natural (plain) yoghurt

• 150 ml/1/4 pt/2/3 cup single (light) cream

• 15 ml/1 tbsp chopped fresh dill (dill weed)

• 300 ml/1/2 pt/1 1/4 cups milk

• 5 ml/1 tsp sugar

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Method:

1. Grind together the ginger and figs then rub the mixture al over the chicken. Leave to marinate for 3  hours.

2. Chop 2 onions and slice the remainder into rings. Heat 30 ml/2 tbsp of ghee and fry the chopped onion until tender. Add all the spices and fry for a few minutes.

3. Add the lamb, saffron and sat and simmer until tender. Drain the rice and add it to the pan with enough water to cook the rice. Add the raisins and pistachios and simmer for about 10 minutes until the rice is just cooked. Leave to cool.

4. Stir in the yoghurt, cream and dill. Stuff the chicken and sew it up. Heat the remaining ghee and fry the chicken until lightly browned on all sides.

5. Add the milk and sugar and simmer gently for about 2 our until tender. Gently fry the onion rings and use to garnish the chicken.