Riz a Djej
رز ع دجاج·(riz ah djej)
The Sunday Feast: Mezze & Mashewe
If there is a smell that defines a Lebanese American childhood, it is the intoxicating cloud of cinnamon, toasted pine nuts, and chicken broth of Riz a Djej. Traditionally, Teta spends all day boiling a whole bird. We don't have all day, but we aren't resorting to sad boxed stock shortcuts either. By using chicken thighs, you extract a deeply authentic, collagen rich broth in a fraction of the time. This is the real deal—fluffy spiced meat and rice crowned with poached chicken and golden nuts—engineered to respect both the homeland and your Tuesday night.
Before you start
Make ahead practicality.
The chicken and homemade broth can be prepared up to three days in advance and kept in the refrigerator. Use a spoonful of the solidified chicken fat from the top of the chilled broth when frying your ground beef for an unbelievable depth of flavor.
Ingredients
- chicken thighs1 1/2 lb
- water6 cup
- yellow onion1 med
- cinnamon stick1 large
- bay leaves3 med
- cardamom pods4 small
- kosher salt1 tsp
- basmati rice2 cup
- ghee2 tbsp
- pine nuts1/3 cup
- slivered almonds1/3 cup
- ground beef1/2 lb
- yellow onion1 small
- Lebanese seven spice1 tbsp
- ground cinnamon1 tsp
- kosher salt1 1/2 tsp
- black pepper1/2 tsp
Method
- 01
Boil the chicken and ruthlessly skim the foam.
Bring the chicken thighs and cold water to a boil in a large pot, and use a spoon to carefully skim away the gray foam (the zafra) before adding aromatics to guarantee a pure, clean tasting broth.
- 02
Simmer the aromatics to create the broth.
Once the water is clear, drop in the halved onion, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, cardamom pods, and salt, then lower the heat and simmer covered for 30 minutes until the chicken is fall-apart tender.
- 03
Shred the chicken and strain the liquid gold.
Pull the meat from the bones, discard the skin, and strain the broth through a sieve, reserving exactly 4 cups of this liquid for cooking the rice.
- 04
Toast the nuts in ghee.
Melt the ghee in a wide heavy bottomed pot over medium heat and toast the pine nuts and almonds until warm and golden, watching them like a hawk so they do not burn, then remove them to a paper towel lined plate.
- 05
Brown the spiced meat base.
Return the pot to the heat and brown the ground beef and diced onion in that same nutty fat along with the seven spice, extra cinnamon, salt, and pepper to bloom the essential oils.
- 06
Coat and fry the rice.
Add the aggressively washed and drained rice to the meat mixture, stirring for two minutes to coat every single grain in the seasoned beef fat.
- 07
Simmer the rice and let it rest undisturbed.
Pour in the hot reserved chicken broth, bring to a gentle boil, cover tightly, and simmer on the absolute lowest heat for 15 to 20 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes without opening the lid.
- 08
Assemble and serve.
Fluff the rice gently, spoon the spiced meat and rice onto a large platter, arrange the shredded chicken generously over the top, and scatter everywhere with the toasted nuts.
Notes
Respect the Zafra.
Do not skip skimming the gray foam off the boiling chicken. It is the absolute difference between a pristine, authentic broth and a muddy, bitter one.
The Rotisserie Exception.
If you are cooking on a Tuesday night with absolutely zero time to boil raw chicken, you can substitute a rotisserie bird and boxed broth, but you must simmer that boxed broth with a cinnamon stick, a bay leaf, and an onion slice for ten minutes first to fake the authenticity.
From Cook Lebanese in America.