Chicken Mansaf

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, cut into serving pieces
• 1 1/2 quarts plain yogurt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup almonds, freshly toasted
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, freshly toasted
• parsley, finely chopped
• salt
• pepper
• 2-3 cups long grain white rice, uncooked (like basmati)
• pita bread

Directions

1. 1

   Place chicken in large pot with enough salted water to barely cover it.

2. 2

   Cook over medium heat until almost done, about 3/4 hour.

3. 3

   In a separate pan, cook enough rice for 6 large servings.

4. 4

   In a large saucepan, stir yogurt until it is quite smooth. Add beaten egg and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly.

5. 5

   Add enough of the liquid from the cooked chicken to make a thin sauce, about the consistency of very heavy cream.

6. 6

   Heat until it almost comes to a boil and thickens slightly.

7. 7

   Add the cooked chicken pieces to the yogurt sauce and finish cooking the chicken in the sauce, at a low temperature.

8. 8

   Cover a large platter with the pita bread.

9. 9

   Mound the rice in the center to form a pyramid.

10. 10

    Arrange the chicken pieces on the rice and pour most of the yogurt sauce over it, reserving the remaining sauce to be added, as desired, by the diners.

11. 11

    Garnish with the almonds, pine nuts and parsley around the edges of the mound of rice and chicken.

12. 12

    Serve warm and eat with your hands.

13. 13

    Helpful Hints: May also be made with lamb instead of, or in combination with chicken. Broth from cooking the meat may be used to cook the rice.