Tahchin: Crunchy Baked Saffron Rice with Chicken

Tahchin is like a casserole with a very special twist: Every slice has tahdig! The contrast between the crunchy bottom and the soft rice studded with chicken is a delight.

By @royashariat

Original recipe source

Cook time: 120 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 large chicken breasts about 1lb total
• 1 small yellow onion peeled
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp salt
• 0.25 tsp black pepper
• 0.25 tsp ground turmeric
• 0 water
• 2 cups basmati rice washed, rinsed, soaked for 1 hour, drained
• 2 Tbsp salt
• 0 water
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg yolks
• 0.25 cup Greek yogurt
• 5 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp saffron bloomed in water
• 1 tsp rosewater
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp saffron additional, bloomed
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 parchment paper
• 1 aluminum foil
• 0.25 cup barberries for serving, optional

Instructions

1. In a small pot, combine the chicken, onion, garlic, 1 tsp of the salt, the pepper, and the turmeric. Cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Continue boiling for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked. Drain the chicken and let it cool, then pat it dry and shred it using two forks.
2. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat, then add 2 Tbsp of the salt to flavor the rice while it cooks. Add the rice and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Drain the rice and rinse it with cold water to stop the cooking and rinse off excess starch.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg and egg yolks. Add the yogurt, 5 Tbsp of the oil, the bloomed saffron, the rosewater, and the remaining 1 tsp of salt, and stir to combine. Add the rice and mix until evenly combined.
5. Spread the remaining 2 Tbsp of oil in a 9 x 13 in (23 x 33 cm) glass baking dish. Spread half of the rice in the bottom of the dish, pressing and smoothing it with a spatula. Arrange the chicken evenly across the top of the rice. Top with the remaining rice, pressing and smoothing it with a spatula and then patting it down.
6. With the tip of a knife, make several incisions all the way into the tahchin to allow steam to escape. Cover the top of the dish with parchment paper, then wrap the dish with a layer of aluminum foil.
7. Bake for 30 minutes, then rotate the baking dish and turn the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C). Bake for 1 hour; then check the dish to see if the bottom has formed a tahdig-style crust. If not, continue baking, checking for the crust every 15 minutes. When the bottom is uniformly golden brown, remove it from the oven.
8. Let the tahchin cool for 5 minutes, then remove the foil and parchment paper. You can try to bravely do a tahdig flip using a tray or serve it in slices directly from the baking dish. Serve tahchin warm with a sprinkle of barberries.