How to make Orange chicken stew with saffron pilaf
Orange chicken stew with saffron pilaf
ingredients:
Whole chicken thighs: one (includes two pieces)
Carrots (preferably thin): one
Onion: A large number
Garlic: Two cloves
Brewed saffron: as desired
Orange juice: one and a half cups (first add one cup and the other half if needed, while cooking)
Hot water: one cup (add half a cup first and then the other half if needed during cooking)
Cinnamon peel: one or two pieces
Cardamom seeds: three
Cumin: A few seeds
Sugar to add to Portuguese juice (optional): One tablespoon
Salt, black pepper and turmeric: as desired
Honey: One to two tablespoons
Lemon juice: one or two tablespoons
Ringed oranges: half a number
Grate orange peel: Grate one to two oranges
Before preparation:
With a fine grater, grate only the orange parts of the orange peel. Do not grate the white part at all, because it is bitter.
Then we take the juice of some fresh and juicy oranges, have a little more than the required amount of fresh orange juice to use if necessary. I added a tablespoon of sugar to the orange juice to make it a little sweeter .
Orange juice must be natural and not essential oil, do not use factory packaging.
Preferably use thighs because it is softer and more oily and absorbs the sauce better.
How to prepare stew:
1- First, pour a little turmeric on the chicken thighs and dip the whole chicken in it by hand and put it aside for about a quarter to absorb the chicken. The amount of turmeric should not be high, also because the chicken will cook, the smell of turmeric will disappear, in addition to its benefits, turmeric causes the smell of chicken.
2- Next, fry both sides of the chicken in a pan with a little oil. Do not fry too much until it hardens, just fry until the surface is soft. We no longer use this oil and throw it away. Now set the chicken aside to cool.
3- Next, cut an onion in half and cut each half in half and cut it into medium-thick slices. Onions are needed for the sauce to taste and thicken.
4- Peel the carrots and cut them lengthwise in the middle and cut each half diagonally.
5- Pour the onion and carrot into the cooking pot and fry with medium oil on medium heat until they soften and change
6- Add a little turmeric to the onion and carrot and fry well to get the smell of turmeric.
7- Next, add salt, black pepper, a few cumin seeds, fragrant leaves, cardamom seeds and cinnamon sticks to the pot and continue to fry until the spices release their aroma. Add the garlic cloves later.
8- Now, place the chicken on the carrot and onion ingredients and use an equal proportion of the fresh orange juice that you have drawn and hot water. First we add orange juice, then we add boiling water from the sides of the pot. I used one and a half cups of orange juice and half a cup of boiling water. If necessary, add half a cup of boiling water to the stew again.
Also, the amount of water should be such that after cooking, one or two small cups of sauce remain for serving. Make sure that the garlic is preferably placed on the chicken so that it is not crushed and only its extract is mixed with food.
9- Add half of the grated orange peel. I add half of my saffron at this stage and the other half five minutes before serving.
10- Pour lemon juice on the chickens, this lemon and orange juice will create a sour and sweet taste of stew. The amount of lemon juice should not be low.
11- Then we close the pan. The temperature should be moderate at first until the stew boils. When it starts to boil, immediately turn down the heat and all the steps of cooking the chicken will always be with gentle heat so that our chicken does not become rubbery and it is completely cooked and soft cooked. During cooking, if necessary, add a little boiling water or some orange juice to the stew.
12- Chicken that is fully cooked (five minutes left to serve), add the other half of the saffron solution or powder, pour a little honey on the chickens, a small piece of butter, some saffron and a few peeled orange leaves and, if necessary, grate the remaining skin. Add the oranges and, if necessary, a little lemon juice to the stew and close the pot until the stew is finally ready. I cook the orange chicken more than the other chickens until it is completely soft and goes away when it is touched. At this stage, be sure to taste the stew and add it in small quantities.
13- Next, serve the stew in a serving dish with the remaining carrots and onions and orange rings and serve with pilaf
14- It is better to remove cinnamon sticks, cardamom seeds and garlic from the stew. Then pour some delicious chicken sauce in a cup and serve with rice. I served the stew with saffron sauce in a rice cooker and vegetables of seven herbs (arugula, mustard, basil, parsley and Swiss chard and mint).
