Chicken Every Sunday

Cardamom Chicken
Originally uploaded by kellik

Here's an easy and impressive chicken dish that seems like you spent loads of time. I paired this Middle Eastern influenced dish with an Indian inspired rice pilaf. The flavors are complementary and work great together. Don't be scared away by the saffron threads in the pilaf. Saffron is widely considered the most expensive spice on earth and somewhat difficult to find. That said, I've been able to find it at my local supermarket.

The warm spiciness of each dish goes well with a green salad or sauteed spinach. Both recipes come from a go-to cookbook from Food and Wine, Quick from Scratch Herbs & Spices Cookbook. It was holiday gift several years ago and every dish is a winner.

Cardamom Chicken
4 chicken leg quarters
1 tablespoon olive oil
ground cardamom
salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter, cut into 4 pieces
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Coat the chicken with 1 T. of oil and season with 1/2 tsp cardamom, 1/2 tsp salt and the pepper. Put the chicken in a roasting pan and top each leg with a piece of butter. Roast until the chicken is just done, about 30 minutes.

Saffron Rice with Almonds and Raisins
1 1/2 cup basmati or other fragrant rice
2 1/4 cups water
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
5 cloves
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp crumbled saffron threads
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup sliced almonds 1/4 cup raisins or currants
Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Put the rice in a medium saucepan with water, cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leavees, saffron and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to love, and cook, covered for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, without removing the lid, for 10 minutes. With a fork, gently stir in the butter, almonds and raisins.