Pelow Shirin - Festive Persian Rice Dish

GalicioBocharit's Note:

A colorful traditional dish with a mixture of delicious flavors and visual appeal. Thanks to my friend Susi for getting it from her sister for me! All of the parts can be prepared the night before except for the rice, then warmed and mixed while the rice is cooking before serving.

• Total Time: 2 hrs
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 4 oranges (not shellacked)
• 3 cups sugar
• 4 large carrots, cut into matchsticks
• 4 cups basmati rice or 4 cups persian rice
• 50 g margarine (for roasting chicken)
• oil, for sauteing
• 50 g margarine (for sauteing)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 (8 ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate
• 1 medium roasting chicken
• honey-roasted pecans (optional)
• slivered almonds (optional)
• shelled pistachios (optional)
• raisins (optional)

Directions:

1. For candied orange peel:.
2. Coarsely grate orange peels and put in a small saucepan.
3. Cover with 1 liter water and bring to a boil, then drain and repeat this process (to reduce the bitterness).
4. Cover peels with the sugar and add 1 L water.
5. Bring to a boil and then simmer, stirring.
6. After 15 minutes, taste it. It should be very sweet syrup. If it's not, add sugar. If it's too thick, add some water.
7. Simmer until rind looks translucent around the edges and is swimming in sugary syrup.
8. For roasted chicken:.
9. Put whole chicken into an oven roasting dish and drown in the orange concentrate and pats of margarine.
10. Cover and roast in 375°F oven until cooked (approx 1 1/2 hours).
11. When it is done, let it cool slightly in the covered pot until you can safely peel off the skin and cut into bit-sized pieces.
12. Drown the pieces in the chicken's sauce until it is time to serve.
13. For carrot mixture:.
14. Heat 50g margarine and oil in frying pan and sauté the carrots for 5 minutes.
15. Add the cinnamon, then add any of the optional dried fruits or nuts and cover and simmer a few minutes longer, until everything has softened.
16. Add the candied orange peel with its syrup.
17. For rice:.
18. Rinse rice until no longer starchy (water should be clear, not milky).
19. Boil rice with 4 cups water and 1/2 tsp salt, then simmer for 7 minutes. Do not remove the lid, rather leave the rice to cook in the steam for 1/2 hour.
20. Putting it all together:.
21. Drain carrot-orange mixture, keeping syrup to be drizzled on according to taste.
22. Add the carrots and chicken pieces to the rice and serve.

Reviews

[Sephardi Kitchen]

I haven't made your recipe (but am familiar with Persian food and think this one looks great!) yet, but wanted to make one correction for you-- this dish is actually called "Shirin Polow" ("sweet rice"). :)