chicken and pickled walnut pilaf

How to make chicken and pickled walnut pilaf recipe

Serves 4

Preparation time 20 minutes, Cooking time about 35 minutes

Ingredients:
400 g (13 oz) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced
2 teaspoons Moroccan spice blend (see below for homemade)
4 tablespoons olive oil
50 g (2 oz) pine nuts
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, sliced
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
250 g (8 oz) mixed long-grain and wild rice
300 ml (½ pint) chicken stock
3 pieces of stem ginger, finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped mint
50 g (2 oz) pickled walnuts, sliced
salt and pepper

Method:
Mix the chicken with the spice blend and a little salt in a bowl.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the pine nuts and fry until beginning to colour. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Add the chicken to the pan and fry gently for 6–8 minutes, or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the onion and fry for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and turmeric and fry for a further 1 minute. Add the rice and stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer very gently for about 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, the rice is tender and the stock absorbed. Add a little water if the liquid has been absorbed before the rice is cooked through.

Stir in the ginger, parsley, mint, walnuts and pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper to taste and heat through gently for 2 minutes before serving.

For homemade Moroccan spice blend, mix together ½ teaspoon each of crushed fennel, cumin, coriander and mustard seeds with ¼ teaspoon each of ground cloves and cinnamon.

chicken and pickled walnut pilaf