Tajine Pilaf with Chicken and Dried Fruits

Prepare all ingredients.

Cut the chickens in half and fry them in olive oil until golden brown. The meat does not need to be cooked through.

Cut the onion into lengthwise strips.

In a thick-walled pot, heat the butter and fry the onion over medium heat until softened and caramelized.

Add coarsely chopped garlic, cinnamon sticks and cardamom. Stir for about a minute.

Place the fried chicken halves, pour in 900 ml of water, cover with a lid and simmer over medium heat for about 40 minutes. Season to taste with salt.

Rinse the rice three times with cold water. Pour it into a pot with boiling water (there should be more water than rice) and cook for 7 minutes.

Pour 50 ml of boiling water over the saffron and let it sit for a few minutes.

Mix yogurt, egg, nutmeg and saffron water.

Remove the chicken meat from the bones. Add the broth with onion in which the chicken was cooked to the meat. The total weight of the broth with onion should be approximately 400 g.

Rinse the cooked rice with cold water, add the yogurt mixture, rose water and salt. Mix well.

Spread some rice in a clean heavy-bottomed pot, distribute it evenly across the bottom. Scatter some raisins and cranberries, then add another layer of rice.

Spread the chicken meat with broth and onion in an even layer. Sprinkle with the remaining dried fruits.

Cover with the remaining rice, arrange pieces of clarified butter on top. Cover with a lid and bake in an oven preheated to 200 degrees for 1 hour 15–20 minutes. Then remove the lid and keep for another 30 minutes.

Turn the tacheen onto a large plate and serve, garnished with fresh herbs.