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Chicken with Rice & Gravy

Print Recipe
Course Main Course
Cuisine Lebanese
Keyword Christmas, Thanksgiving

Ingredients

Rice, beef and nuts

  • 2 cup rice
  • 2 cup water
  • 1 cup sliced raw almonds
  • ¾ cup pine nuts
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 2-3 tspn 7 spices or all spice
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 24-30 chestnuts, roasted

Chicken

  • 1-2 whole chicken, or pieces
  • 3-4 carrots, 1 large onion, 2 stalks celery for cooking the chicken

Gravy

  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • ¼ cup white wine
  • 1 tbspn corn flour / corn starch
  • cinnamon
  • ginger powder

Instructions

Prepare the rice, beef and nuts

  • Cook the rice and water.
  • Toast the almond slices in oil, watching carefully to not burn. Remove from heat when golden brown.
  • Toast the pine nuts in oil, watching carefully to not burn. Remove from heat when slightly brown.
  • Brown the ground beef. Add seasonings to taste.
  • Mix the pine nuts with the ground beef. Set aside.

Prepare the chicken

  • Cook chicken in oven as required. Add some roasted chestnuts to the cavity if whole chicken.
  • Reserve the juice from chicken for the gravy.
  • Keep the roasting vegetables on the side.

Prepare the gravy

  • When the chicken is done, pour the juices into a medium saucepan.
  • Add chicken broth and white wine. Cook on medium heat to simmer.
  • Once simmering, add the corn flour thinned with a few drops of water. Stir continuously to avoid lumps and allow to thicken.
  • Reduce heat and add whole chestnuts and pieces. Add cinnamon and ginger to taste.
  • If you want more flavor in the gravy, puree the roasting vegetables and add small amounts to the gravy without adding chunks and without diluting the gravy with too many vegetables.

Serving and presentation

  • Using a large serving plate, spread the rice on the bottom of the plate.
  • Add the beef/pine nuts on top of the rice. Sprinkle the almonds on top.
  • Cut up the chicken and place the pieces on top of it all.
  • Place any remaining whole chestnuts around the edge.
  • Serve the gravy on the side.

Notes

Using chicken instead of turkey. Prepared for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Can also be served for large parties.