Chicken Pilaf with Apricots

This is a tasty dish. The recipe is from the Australian Women's Weekly Middle Eastern Cookery. [These books are absolutely wonderful; some can be purchased on Amazon -US; Canada; or UK - or on e-bay or from second hand book stores.The AWW website also has some fabulous recipes online -]

I tweaked the recipe a bit - it calls for boneless chicken thighs, cut up - I have yet to find them ready boned here in the U.S. so I just used a standard supermarket pack and put them in the pan as is; also I reduced the liquid content.

Here is the recipe:

Chicken Pilaf with Apricots

Ingredients
6 TBS. butter, clarified*
A 6-portion pack of chicken thighs
2 medium onions, sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 cup dried apricots, sliced
2 cups basmati rice
1-1/2 cups chicken stock, low sodium
1-1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

*To clarify butter, place in small pot on very low flame until it melts. Let it sit for a while, then remove the white streaks from the top.

1. Heat half the clarified butter in large pan, add chicken, cook until almost done and lightly browned all over and tender; drain.
2. Heat remaining clarified butter in same pan, add onions, garlic and spices, cook, stirring, until onions are soft.
3. Add apricots and rice, stir over heat until rice is coated in spice mixture. Stir in stock and water. Add one teaspoon salt. Simmer, covered with tight-fitting lid, 15 minutes.
4. Place chicken pieces back in pan in rice mixture and simmer very low for another 10 minutes. Remove from stovetop and let stand for 15 minutes. Stir in raisins, peas and toasted pine nuts.

A tasty dish indeed!