Djej M'ammer B'r-roz

Description

Algerian chicken stuffed with rice

Ingredients

• 1 eggplant
• 2 red peppers
• 1 onion
• 3 tomatoes
• ½ tablespoon paprika
• ½ tablespoon of your favorite spice blend
• 1 cup of rice
• 1 pinch of saffron
• 2 tablespoons of pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons of raisins
• 1 whole chicken
• salt
• black pepper
• 2 tablespoons of butter

Procedures

1. Chop the vegetables.
2. Add paprika, spice blend and about 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 cups of water.
3. Soak the rice overnight or parboil for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the saffron, raisins and pine nuts.
5. You can toast the pine nuts for an added dimension of flavor.
6. You can use turmeric instead of saffron.
7. Stuff the chicken under the breast skin, season the outside and inside with about 1 tablespoon of salt total and black pepper.
8. Stuff the cavity with the rice.
9. You can steam the chicken or cook it in the pot with the vegetables.
10. Cook it in the same pot as the vegetables for about 3 hours.
11. Move the chicken around a bit every 30 minutes or so to prevent burning.
12. Cook over a very low flame.
13. As always you can choose to skim the fat that rises to the top.