Flavors: Poulet Stuffed with Herb-Infused Freekeh
- Food
- Recipe
Recipe by Joudie Kalla
Photograph courtesy Jamie Orlando Smith
Freekeh is one of the best grains out there, quickly earning a reputation as the newest “supergrain.” Freekeh is green and nutty and has this amazing aroma when cooked. It is also replete with whole grain sources of fiber and offers a whopping 7 grams of protein per serving.
So, this freekeh-stuffed poultry dish is definitely good for you. Palestinians love adding spices and herbs to food, especially nearer the coastal areas where they are in abundance. Freekeh is used in many stuffings and food combinations because it is filling, hearty and packed with nutrition. It works really well with chicken, but I prefer Cornish game hens. The herbs in this dish are bursting with flavor, and whether serving your family or dinner-party guests, this dish is sure to be a fan favorite.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). In a bowl, combine all the ingredients, except your poultry and yogurt dip, and taste for flavor. Place the mixture into the cavities of your poultry of choice and place in a deep baking dish.
Season your poultry with extra salt and pepper, and drizzle of olive oil on top. Add water to the bottom of the dish so the lower half of the chicken is submerged. Cover dish with aluminum foil and roast for about one hour or until cooked through. The liquid will combine flavors from the poultry, herbs and freekeh, creating a delicious sauce.
Once cooked, ladle sauce over each hen, or whole chicken, and serve with a little yogurt dip alongside.
Reprinted with permission from Baladi Palestine,
Joudie Kalla, 2019, Interlink Books, 978-1-62371-981-4, $35 hb, www.interlinkbooks.com.
You may also be interested in...
Sea Beans With Fava Beans and Dill
Food
This recipe serves up one of London-based food writer Sally Butcher's favorite lunches—a perfect mezze dish of beans.
Flavors: Afghan Breakfast Eggs Tokhme Banjanromi
Food
Arts
My mother recalls having this dish for breakfast during family day trips, such as to Mazari-Sharif (in northern Afghanistan) for the Red Tulip Festival (Guli Surkh), during the spring equinox. It would be made in a beautiful copper karayee, a shallow heavy-based pan used in Afghan cooking. The karayee would be placed directly over a portable kerosene burner, where the eggs, vegetables and spices would bubble away. The large karayee is then placed in the middle of the breakfast spread, surrounded by naans and various chais, for everyone to help themselves.
Muhalbiyat al-sagoo - Sago and Lychee Pudding
Food
Obtained from the trunks of various palms, sago is used across Asia as a thickener for soups and stews and to make pudding. You can substitute other soft, sweet fruit like plums or pineapple, but the sweet juice of the lychee blends very well with milk. This is an exotic take on the traditional sago pudding popular in Gulf cuisine, made with sago, sugar and spices.