Chicken and Barberry Rice

Whenever I see a bag of strange ingredients I am compelled to buy them , this time barberries, small sour berries a traditional Iranian ingredient for a classic dish Zereshk Polow (Barberry Rice with Chicken)  I was dubious that a dish with so few ingredients would taste very good.

Original recipes involve cooking the chicken and rice seperately then combining them for a one hour bake, the closest I could think a biryani. But obsessed as I am with the pressure cooker I thought I would make up my own method

It worked perfectly the chicken juices absorbed and coating with the rice. Slightly caramalised barberries adding a sweet sour taste. These are definitely going to become one of my favourite ingredients.

Chicken and Barberry Rice

Serves 4

8 pieces of chicken (legs and drumsticks)skin removed
250g of basmatic rice
1 large onion peeled and finely sliced
1 clove of garlic peeled

1/2 pint of hot (just boiled)water
8 strands of saffron
1 large handful of dried barberries

1. Soak the saffron and the barberries in the water for 5 minutes
2. Place the chicken in the pressure cooker with the onions and garlic
3. Pour over the water
4. Bring the pressure cooker up steam on the highest setting
5. Turn the heat down and cook for 10 minutes
6. Release the pressure, add the rice
7. Bring back up the steam , turn down the heat, cook for 2 minutes.
8. Remove from the heat, release the pressure
9. Serve

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