Pelow Shirin - Festive Persian Rice Dish

Ingredients

• 4 oranges (not shellacked)
• 3 cups sugar
• 4 large carrots, cut into matchsticks
• 4 glasses basmati rice or persian rice
• 50 g margarine (for roasting chicken)
• oil, for sauteing
• 50 g margarine (for sauteing)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 (8 ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate
• 1 medium roasting chicken
• honey-roasted pecans (optional)
• slivered almond (optional)
• shelled pistachios (optional)
• raisins (optional)

Directions

1. 1

   For candied orange peel:.

2. 2

   Coarsely grate orange peels and put in a small saucepan.

3. 3

   Cover with 1 liter water and bring to a boil, then drain and repeat this process (to reduce the bitterness).

4. 4

   Cover peels with the sugar and add 1 L water.

5. 5

   Bring to a boil and then simmer, stirring.

6. 6

   After 15 minutes, taste it. It should be very sweet syrup. If it's not, add sugar. If it's too thick, add some water.

7. 7

   Simmer until rind looks translucent around the edges and is swimming in sugary syrup.

8. 8

   For roasted chicken:.

9. 9

   Put whole chicken into an oven roasting dish and drown in the orange concentrate and pats of margarine.

10. 10

    Cover and roast in 375°F oven until cooked (approx 1 1/2 hours).

11. 11

    When it is done, let it cool slightly in the covered pot until you can safely peel off the skin and cut into bit-sized pieces.

12. 12

    Drown the pieces in the chicken's sauce until it is time to serve.

13. 13

    For carrot mixture:.

14. 14

    Heat 50g margarine and oil in frying pan and sauté the carrots for 5 minutes.

15. 15

    Add the cinnamon, then add any of the optional dried fruits or nuts and cover and simmer a few minutes longer, until everything has softened.

16. 16

    Add the candied orange peel with its syrup.

17. 17

    For rice:.

18. 18

    Rinse rice until no longer starchy (water should be clear, not milky).

19. 19

    Boil rice with 4 cups water and 1/2 tsp salt, then simmer for 7 minutes. Do not remove the lid, rather leave the rice to cook in the steam for 1/2 hour.

20. 20

    Putting it all together:.

21. 21

    Drain carrot-orange mixture, keeping syrup to be drizzled on according to taste.

22. 22

    Add the carrots and chicken pieces to the rice and serve.