Egyptian Chicken Sofrito
Why I Love This Recipe
The following is a mixed-up version of 2 recipes from Claudia Roden's wonderful Book of Jewish Food. This version has become a family favourite, especially to eat lightly chilled on a hot summer day.
Ingredients You'll Need
1 large or 2 small chickens, quartered
1 and a half teaspoons salt
1 quarter teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 half teaspoon freshly ground seeds of green cardamom pods
1 teaspoon of allspice, freshly ground
Juice of 1 lemon
5 cups of water
250 g orechiette
Directions
Combine everything except 2 cups of water and the pasta in a saucepan or Dutch oven.
Bring to the boil and let it cook, covered, over low medium heat for 30 minutes.
Add the other 2 cups of water and the pasta and let it boil another 15-20 minutes to cook the pasta al dente.
There should be a good bit of sauce at the end.
Thats it - easier than pie.
Serve warm or at room temperature, not hot.
It is tangy and refreshing after having been chilled for a couple of hours and then taken out half an hour before serving (in a beautiful glass dish, garnished with some lemon slices and chopped parsley or coriander leaves or mint).