Serves 6
175g chicken livers
1 chicken breast (about 125g)
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
25g pine nuts
40g raisins
2½ tsp dried mint
1½ tsp allspice
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp caster sugar
Sea salt
300g basmati rice
700ml hot chicken stock
1 Put the chicken livers and breast in a pan of water and bring to the boil over a high heat. Remove any scum and add a generous pinch of salt. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Drain and leave to cool. Once cool, finely slice the livers and shred the breast meat. Set aside.
2 Heat the butter and oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and pine nuts and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-7 minutes, or until the pine nuts are golden. Add the raisins, mint, allspice, black pepper, sugar and chicken liver and breast. Add a generous pinch of salt and mix everything thoroughly.
3 Tip the rice into the pan and mix for 1 minute, until translucent. Pour in the stock and stir gently. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Remove from the heat and cover with a clean tea towel. Put the lid back on and leave for 10 minutes – this will help the rice fluff up.
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4 Fork the mixture into a serving dish and serve immediately.
Recipe extracted from Turkish Delights, published by Kyle Books. Buy from the Times Bookshop for £15.99 (RRP £19.99), free p&p, on 0845 2712134; timesbooks.co.uk