FREEKEH

FREEKEH IS AN ANCIENT GEM….

With its charming nutty taste, protein count, and next-to-no-effort kind of preparing, Freekeh is a green wheat grain, harvested while the wheat is still young and green. After it is harvested, Freekeh is roasted and rubbed, which gives it a really unique flavor

Another Lebanese dish similar as chicken with rice (djaj w riz)

Ingredients

2 cups Freekeh

1 & 1/2 kg Chicken

1/2 yellow Onion, cubed

3 Cinnamon sticks

4 Bay Leaves

6 Cardamom pods

1 tsp. Salt

2 tbsp. Olive Oil

1 Onion, chopped

300 g Minced Meat, Beef, (optional)

1 tsp. Seven Spices

Butter for frying Almonds and Pine Nuts

1 tsp. ground Cinnamon

Method

Wash the freekeh and remove any burnt grains or stones.

Cook the chicken in a cooking pot over medium heat and cover with water, remove the scum when rises up. Now add the cubed yellow onion, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, cardamom and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cover with a lid and bring to the boil. Simmer for 30 minutes or until cooked through.

Remove the chicken from the pot (leaving a light stock) and set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the skin and break the meat into large pieces, removing the bones.

Bring the chicken stock back to a slow simmer. Heat the ghee or olive oil in a large saucepan and add the chopped onion. Fry until beginning to soften, then add the minced beef, if using, and cook until browned. Stir in the freekeh. Add the spices and salt and stir through. Add 1 liter of hot chicken stock and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 40 minutes.

Melt a little butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the almonds and cook until lightly toasted. Remove from the pan and repeat with the pine nuts. Remove from the pan and add another knob of butter. When it melts, add the chicken pieces in a single layer without crowding, then cook 8 to 10 minutes per side or until chicken is browned, add ground cinnamon and 500 ml of hot stock. Bring to the boil, recooking the chicken.