Chicken Entertaining

Maqloubeh (Palestinian upside-down rice)

Name: Maqloubeh (Palestinian upside-down rice) recipe
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 100ml extra virgin olive oil; 3 onions, thinly sliced; 500g chicken thigh fillets, thinly sliced; 1/2 tsp ground allspice; 3 tsp baharat spice mix; 1 tsp sumac; Finely grated zest of 2 lemons; 400g cherry tomatoes; 2 cups (400g) basmati rice, soaked in cold water for 10 minutes, drained; 3 cups (750ml) Chicken Style Liquid Stock; Harissa, to serve; 1 cup (280g) Greek yoghurt; Juice of 1/2 lemon; 1 tbs tahini; 2 Lebanese cucumbers, sliced into rounds

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by Phoebe Wood

Sep 05, 2020

“Traditionally this layered dish is inverted and served upside-down. I’ve baked this in the style of a pilaf, but kept the layers in the rice for little pockets of flavour," says Phoebe Wood.

100ml extra virgin olive oil
3 onions, thinly sliced
500g chicken thigh fillets, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp ground allspice
3 tsp baharat spice mix
1 tsp sumac
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
400g cherry tomatoes
2 cups (400g) basmati rice, soaked in cold water for 10 minutes, drained
3 cups (750ml) Massel Chicken Style Liquid Stock
Harissa, to serve

Tahini yoghurt topping (makes approx. 310g)

1 cup (280g) Greek yoghurt
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbs tahini
2 Lebanese cucumbers, sliced into rounds

Method

1.

Heat 1/3 cup (80ml) oil in a large ovenproof saucepan with a lid over low heat. Add onion and 1 tsp salt flakes. Cook, stirring, for 25 minutes or until golden and lightly caramelised. Remove using a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Add chicken, spices and lemon zest to the pan and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes to lightly colour the chicken. Transfer chicken to the bowl with onion.
2.

Add tomatoes to the pan with remaining 1 tbs oil. Scatter over half of the rice, then add in the chicken and onion mixture. Top with remaining 1 cup (200g) rice, chicken stock and 1/2 tsp salt flakes, and bring to a rapid simmer. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 30 minutes, turn off heat and allow to steam, covered, for 10 minutes or until rice is fluffy and cooked with a lightly caramelised crust at the bottom.
3.

While the rice is cooking, prepare the tahini yoghurt topping. Combine yoghurt, lemon, 2 tbs cold water and tahini in a bowl and stir until tahini is well combined. Season with salt and pepper, then fold through the cucumber.
4.

Remove the lid from rice and spoon over the yoghurt sauce. Serve with harissa.