A beloved rural Egyptian dish often prepared with pigeon (Hamam) instead of chicken. Freekeh is sun-dried green wheat that is cracked and smoked, giving it a unique nutty flavor. It is highly nutritious, containing wheat germ and Vitamin E.
Yields: Serves 6–8 people.
Ingrediants
Ingredients
- Main: 2 small chickens (approx. 600g / 20 oz each)—Cornish Hens are preferred—or 3 pigeons.
- Chicken Seasoning: 2 crushed garlic cloves, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp cumin, ¾ tsp black pepper, ¼ tsp coriander (or nutmeg), and the juice of one small lemon.
The Stuffing (For the birds):
- ¾ cup Freekeh (cleaned and rinsed).
- 1 cup chopped onion.
- Chicken giblets (livers, gizzards, and hearts) from 2–3 chickens.
- Spices: ¾ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp cumin.
For the Poaching Liquid:
- 8–10 cups water.
- 1 onion, quartered.
- 6 cardamom pods, partially cracked.
- 3–4 tsp salt (or to taste).
The Main Freekeh Bed:
- 4–5 cups Freekeh.
- 4 tbsp butter or ghee.
- ½ cup chopped onion + 2 large cloves garlic, minced.
- Spices: 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp black pepper, ¼ tsp dry coriander.
- 5–6 cups reserved chicken broth (from step 7).
Direction
Instructions
- Prep the Chicken: Rub the chicken inside and out with a little flour and salt. Let sit for a few minutes, then rinse with cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
- Prep the Freekeh: Thoroughly sort through the freekeh to remove any stones or debris. Rinse multiple times in cold water until completely clean, then drain.
- Seasoning: Mash the garlic with the seasoning ingredients and rub the mixture all over the chicken (inside and out). For best results, let it marinate in the fridge overnight.
- Prepare Stuffing: Mix the 1 cup of chopped onion with the stuffing spices. Let sit for 5–10 minutes, then mix in the ¾ cup of freekeh.
- Stuffing the Birds: Stuff the cavity of the chicken, under the breast skin, and through the neck opening. Sew the openings shut or secure with toothpicks, and truss the legs.
- Poaching: Boil 8–10 cups of water. Add the chickens, quartered onion, and cardamom. Skim off any foam. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 40 minutes until cooked.
- Browning: Remove the chickens from the broth and strain. In a medium pot, brown the chickens in a little oil on all sides until golden. Remove and keep warm.
- Cooking the Main Freekeh: In the same pot used for browning, melt the butter. Sauté the onion, garlic, and spices until the onion softens and browns slightly.
- Combine: Add the 4–5 cups of freekeh and stir until the grains are well-coated in butter.
- Simmer: Pour in the hot salted chicken broth until it just covers the surface of the freekeh. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Use a heat diffuser (flame tamer) under the pot.
- Final Steam: Cook for about 40 minutes until the freekeh is tender. Add the browned chickens back into the pot for the final 20 minutes to steam together.
- Serving: Remove the chickens and discard the threads/skewers. Fluff the freekeh with a large fork and spread on a serving platter. Place the chickens on top.
Serve with yogurt (Rob). As the Egyptians say: "Matrah ma yisri yimri" (May it bring health and healing) and "Bil-hana wal-shifa" (With joy and health)!
