Lebanese Chicken Fatteh with Rice, Garlic Yogurt and Pine Nuts

What you need

• 600 g (1 1/3 lb) boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp salt, divided
• 2 pita breads, large, about 100 g each
• 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 tbsp butter
• 30 g (1 oz) vermicelli, broken into short pieces
• 200 g (1 cup) long-grain rice, rinsed
• 350 g (1 1/2 cups) plain whole-milk yogurt
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed to a paste
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp dried mint
• 40 g (1.5 oz) pine nuts

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Put the chicken, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, bay leaves and 1 tsp of the salt in a pot with 800 ml water. Bring to a boil and skim off the foam.

2. 2

   Lower the heat and simmer gently, 20-25 min. The thickest piece must read 74 °C (165 °F) inside.

3. 3

   Lift out the chicken and strain the broth. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it and keep it warm in a few spoonfuls of broth.

4. 4

   Heat the oven to 200 °C (400 °F). Cut the pita into 3 cm (1 in) pieces and toss with 2 tbsp of the olive oil and a pinch of salt.

5. 5

   Bake the pita on a baking sheet, turning once, until crisp and golden, 12-15 min.

6. 6

   Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the vermicelli and stir until deep golden, 2 min.

7. 7

   Add the rice and stir for 1 min. Pour in 400 ml of the hot broth with 1/2 tsp salt. Cover and cook over the lowest heat until the liquid is absorbed, 15 min. Rest it, covered, for 5 min.

8. 8

   Heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Toast the pine nuts, stirring, until golden, 2 min.

9. 9

   Stir together the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, dried mint and the remaining 1/2 tsp salt.

10. 10

    Spread the pita on a platter and sprinkle with 100 ml of the warm broth to soften it slightly.

11. 11

    Layer the rice over the pita, then the shredded chicken, then spoon the garlic yogurt on top.

12. 12

    Scatter the pine nuts over the yogurt and serve immediately.

Imported from cosetteskitchen.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.