Freekeh with grilled chicken

Freekehwithgrilledchicken

40 minutes cooking time

Ingredients

(6 servings)
  • To prepare chicken al-khair
  • 1 whole chicken from “Al Khair Chicken” (well cleaned).
  • 1 large onion cut into quarters.
  • Chard spices: (bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves).
  • Salt and black pepper to taste.
  • To prepare freekeh:
  • 3 cups freekeh (purified, washed well with warm water and drained).
  • 1 finely chopped onion.
  • 2 tablespoons ghee (or vegetable oil as desired).
  • A teaspoon of mixed spices (or sweet spices).
  • Half a teaspoon of fine cinnamon.
  • A pinch of ground cardamom.
  • Al Khair Chicken Broth (made from boiling chicken).
  • To decorate:
  • Roasted nuts (almonds, pine nuts, cashews) and chopped parsley.

Preparation

1

First: boil the chicken khair

2

In a large pot, put a little oil and sauté the whole Khair Chicken on all sides until it takes on a light colour.

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3

Cover the chicken with boiling water, and remove the foam whenever it appears on the surface to ensure pure broth.

4

Add the chopped onion, spices (bay, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves), salt and black pepper.

5

Cover the pot and let the chicken cook over low heat (it takes about 45-50 minutes). After cooking, remove the chicken, strain the broth, and leave it aside.

6

Second: browning the chicken

7

Grease the chicken with a mixture of (a little olive oil, a pinch of spices, and a squeeze of lemon or a little tomato sauce), and place it under the oven grill until it browns and acquires a wonderful golden color.

8

Third: Cooking the freekeh

9

In another pot, melt the ghee, add the chopped onions, and sauté them until they wilt and turn golden.

10

Add the drained freekeh to the onions, and stir well over medium heat for 5 minutes (this step is important for the freekeh to be toasted and appear peppered and not breaded).

11

Add the mixed spices, cinnamon, ground cardamom, and salt, and stir.

12

Pour the hot chicken broth over the freekeh (for each cup of freekeh, you need from one and a half to two cups of broth, depending on the type of freekeh).

13

Leave the broth to boil over high heat until it begins to decrease to the level of the freekeh, then cover the pot, reduce the heat completely (candle) and leave it to simmer for 30 to 40 minutes.

14

How to apply

15

Pour the peppered freekeh into a large serving bowl, distribute the whole browned chicken kheer grains over it, and decorate the top with nuts.