Chicken with rice-and-ground-meat stuffing or hashwa is a classic festive dish of the Arab world. The old way was to boil the stuffed chicken first, then briefly roast it to give it a golden color. These days it is more common to cook the stuffing separately and to roast the chicken. For a large party you can make double the quantity, shape the stuffing in a mound in a large round oven dish, cover it with the cut-up pieces of chicken, then heat it through, covered with foil, before serving.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6

　　1 chicken, 3 1/2–4 pounds

　　1 teaspoon cinnamon

　　1 teaspoon ground cardamom

　　Salt and pepper

　　2 tablespoons sunflower or vegetable oil

　　

For the Stuffing

3/4 pound ground lean beef or lamb

　　2 tablespoons oil

　　Salt and pepper

　　1 teaspoon cinnamon

　　1 teaspoon cardamom seeds, crushed

　　3/4 cup long-grain rice

　　1 1/2 cups chicken stock (page 143) (or you may use 1 bouillon cube)

　　1/2 cup split blanched almonds or coarsely chopped pistachios

　　2/3 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

　　

Step 1

Wash the chicken and rub it with a mixture of cinnamon, cardamom, salt, pepper, and oil. Place the chicken, breast side down, in an oven dish and roast in a preheated 350°F oven for 1–1 1/2 hours, or until the skin is well browned but the chicken is still juicy inside, turning it over halfway through.

　　

Step 2

For the stuffing, fry the ground meat in the oil, crushing it, turning it over, and breaking up any lumps, until it changes color. Add salt and pepper, cinnamon, and the cardamom seeds, and stir well. Add the rice, mix very well, and pour in the stock. Cook with the lid on, over very low heat, for 20 minutes, or until the rice is very tender. Stir in the almonds or pistachios and the pine nuts.

　　

Step 3

Serve the chicken with the stuffing.

　　The New Book of Middle Eastern Food Copyright © 2000Knopf