Persian Chicken with Squash, Pomegranate and Watercress

I  had to beg my mother for her Persian chicken recipe, which she gave up grudgingly - and no wonder. The chicken is stuffed with gently spiced basmati rice, which takes on the lemony jus from the chicken and makes a cracking Sunday lunch. Sorry Ma - this is just too good not to share.

Despite the monumental efforts of kale's PR team, I hear that watercress is in fact far more nutritious, and the peppery kick it lends to this sweet roasted squash, flecked with pink pomegranate seeds, is a match made in heaven.

For the chicken

1.8 kg chicken
Juice of 1 lemon
150g basmati rice
Salt and Pepper
150g butter
2 onions, finely chopped
150g raisins
100g walnuts, coursely chopped
1.5 tsp turmeric
1.5 tsp ground cumin


For the squash

1 large butternut squash
1 red onion, sliced into eighths
Olive oil (around 2 tbsps)
Sprig of thyme
Salt and Pepper
1/2 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
1 pomegranate
1 pack watercress


Preheat the oven to 190C. Wipe the chicken inside and out with some kitchen roll. Pour half the lemon juice into the cavity.

Boil the basmati rice in lightly salted water for 5-7 minutes (until it retains some bite) and drain thoroughly.

Melt 110g butter and fry the onion in it over a medium heat, until soft and golden. Stir in the raisins, walnuts, turmeric and cumin, fry for a further minute then stir in the rice and take off the heat. Season.

Stuff the rice mix into the chicken and place in a roasting tin. Put any remaining stuffing into a porcelain dish and set aside. Be sure not to stuff the chicken too much, there must be at least a 2cm gap between the stuffing and the top of the cavity of the chicken to allow the heat to penetrate. Pour the remaining lemon juice over the chicken and sprinkle with salt. Spread the remaining butter over the breast. Roast for around 1.5 hours until cooked through.

Meanwhile, peel and slice the squash into 1.5 cm slices. Coat lightly with the olive oil, and toss with the onion, thyme, salt and pepper and chilli.



Lay out in a baking tray and roast for around 40 minutes, until soft and golden around the edges. At this point, also put the remaining dish of stuffing into the oven. Remove the squash from the oven, leave to cool slightly, then just before serving sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and watercress.



Remove the stuffing from the chicken's cavity and put in a serving bowl. Carve the chicken.





Note:

I doubled the recipe as this makes excellent leftovers.

Any juices from the roasting pan can be made into a delicious gravy, by bubbling it up with some stock, a glass of white wine or port, salt and pepper and tsp redcurrant jelly. Taste for seasoning and serve.