Teheran Zereshk - Basmati rice

Method

• Wash the rice in warm water and rinse in a colander under the cold water tap.
• Saute the chicken pieces in 2 tablespoons of the butter or oil until tender, adding salt and pepper and turning them over once.
• Then cut each piece into 6 slices.
• Mix the yogurt and the egg in a large bowl.
• The egg prevents the yogurt from curdling.
• Add salt and pepper and the saffron mixed with 2 tablespoons boiling water.
• Beat well.
• Put the pieces of chicken in, and turn them so that they are well coated with the mixture.
• Then lift them out onto a plate.
• In a large (910-inch), heavy-bottomed, preferably nonstick pan, boil the rice in plenty of salted water for about 10 minutes, until it is still a little underdone, then drain quickly.
• Mix half the rice with the yogurt mixture.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter or oil in the bottom of the pan.
• Cover the bottom and sides with the rice-and-yogurt mixture to form a kind of inner mold.
• Put a layer of chicken pieces in this mold, sprinkle with a few barberries, and cover with a layer of plain rice.
• Repeat, making sure that there is always the wall of yogurt-and-rice mixture on the sides, until the ingredients are finished.
• Using a piece of plastic wrap, press gently down all over.
• Put the lid on and cook for about 30 minutes on very low heat.
• To serve, turn out onto a serving platter.
• If the sides are not detached from the pan, cut around them with a pointed knife.
• The outside should be a crisp brown crust, and the beautiful yellow and white layered inside crumbly.
• If you are not using a nonstick pan, dipping the bottom into cold water will help you to turn out the rice.
• You can use a nonstick oven dish or pot and bake the layered rice, covered, in a preheated 350F oven for 11 1/2 hours.