Freekeh and Rice with Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 cups freekeh
• 2 cups Egyptian rice
• 2 kg chicken thighs
• Nuts for garnish - optional
• Seasonings for boiling the chicken, as desired and available (cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, whole cloves, cardamom pods, whole black peppercorns, a small piece of fresh ginger, an onion, half a lemon)
• Oil or ghee for cooking the freekeh and rice
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Salt to taste

Method

1. After cleaning the chicken, cover it with water, bring the water to a boil, then discard it to remove any scum
2. Wash the chicken and place it in a clean pot, cover it with fresh water, and boil it with the seasonings
3. In a large pot suitable for cooking the freekeh, add some oil or ghee and sauté the finely chopped onion until softened
4. After sorting the freekeh to remove any impurities, washing it, and draining it, add it to the pot over the onion and stir for about ten minutes
5. Add 2 cups of the chicken cooking broth (after the chicken is fully cooked), cover the pot, and leave it over low heat for about 15 minutes
   Timers: 15 min
6. When the freekeh absorbs the broth, add another cup of chicken broth, adjust the salt, add 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and stir (do not add all the required broth at once; add it in stages)
7. Cover the pot again and leave it over low heat for another 15 minutes, or until the freekeh grains are cooked through. You can add a little hot broth if needed and continue cooking (the important thing is for the freekeh grains to cook, open up, and absorb all the broth)
   Timers: 15 min
8. In a second pot, sauté the washed and drained rice in a little ghee or oil, then cook it with the chicken broth as well (about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of broth for each cup of rice)
9. Serve the rice on a serving platter, top with the freekeh, then arrange the chicken on top after browning it in the oven or serving it without browning, as desired
10. Garnish with nuts or fried toppings
11. Note: This dish can also be made without rice, depending on personal preference
12. For more from Ruwaida, here is The Tastiest Meat-Stuffed Grape Leaves
13. Here is another elegant dish from Ruwaida Grilled Chicken with Rice