Turkish Spiced Pilaf

Occasionally,  you find something really special - both delicious and easy - this is one of those.  I found it in Rick Stein's Venice to Istanbul.  His original recipe has pine nuts but I think toasted flaked almonds are better.

Serves 6 - (note 50g rice/75g water per person gives moderate sized portions of rice for a dinner party but allow a bit more for main course only or younger male diners)

Ingredients

• 300   gms Jasmine or basmati long-grain rice
• 30     ml Olive oil
• 1       Onion - chopped
• 0.5    tsp ground cinnamon
• 0.5    tsp salt
• 6       turns of black pepper
• 450   ml cold water
• 2       tbsp sulatnas or currants
• 2       tbsp toasted flaked almonds
• Good handful of chopped flat-leafed parsley and dill

Method

Soak the rice in plenty of cold water for 30 mins, then drain.

In a saucepan,  gently soften the onion in the olive oil then add the rice, cinnamon, salt, pepper and sultanas. Mix thoroughly and add the cold water.  You can tip everything into a rice cooker at this stage and leave it - just turn on the cooker 20 mins before you want to serve.  Alternatively,  bring it all to athe boil,  then immediately reduce to a gentle simmer,  put lid on pot and cook for 10 mins until the water is absorbed.

Just before serving,  stir through the herbs and almonds.

Oven Roasted Chicken with Sumac, Pomegranate Molasses, Chilli & Sesame Seeds

This is a Rick Stein recipe (From Venice to Istanbul) and it's great with his Turkish Spiced Pilaf and Taze Fasulye (Green Beans in Tomato Sauce) or a green salad.

Serves 4 to 6

• 1   Whole chicken jointed into 8 pieces (or use bone-in, skin-on chicken portions)
• 3   tbsp Olive oil
• 1   tbsp Sesame seeds

    For the marinade

• 2   tbsp ground sumac
• 2   large cloves garlic, fine (chopped, crushed or grated)
• 1   tsp chilli flakes
• 1   tbsp tomato paste
• 1   tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 1   tsp salt

Mix all the marinade ingredients together,  rub well into chicken and leave for one hour.

Heat oven to 2000C.  Put chicken in a roasting tin,  drizzle with olive oil and scatter the sesame seeds over.  Roast for 30 minutes

Sauce
If you like to have a sauce,  saute a chopped garlic clove and add some chicken stock, sumac, pomegranate molasses and chilli flakes.  Add any liquid from the roasting tin and stir in some yogurt (preferably Greek or whole milk - not low fat)