Chicken 

1. Cut chicken into cube pieces and marinate with 1 onion sliced, salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
2. Slice the remaining onions and fry in hot oil; then add the marinated chicken with a dash of turmeric and toss for a few minutes until sealed.
3. Then transfer the chicken to a roasting pan/or casserole dish and put it in a preheated oven to bake. Halfway, melt 2-3 tablespoons of butter, add saffron, and pour the mixture over the chicken ensuring to cover it all. Bake until golden.

Rice & Jewels

1. Rinse rice with cold water, repeat 3 times. Soak rice in cold water for 2-6 hours.
2. Bring 4 cups of water & 1/8 cup of salt, to a boil. Drain the soaking rice and add to the boiling pot. Bring back to a gentle boil, & cook rice until al-dente (5-10min) depending on the quality of the rice. Drain the rice in a colander and rinse quickly under cold water.
3. Add the yogurt to a medium bowl, and add 1/2 tbsp. bloomed saffron. Stir in 2 cups of the drained rice, and set aside. Make a mixture of 2 tbsp. melted butter with 2 tbsp of hot water and set
   aside.
4. Place a wide dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Add 3 tbsp. melted butter, swirling it around to cover the bottom of the pot and up sides.
5. Spread the rice-yogurt mixture evenly across the bottom of the pot. This will be the tahdig (crispy rice) layer. Spoon in the remaining rice over the tahdig layer. Drizzle butter-hot water
   mixture over rice.
6. Set the pot lid on a large clean kitchen towel, fold the edges of the towel up over the lid, and cover the pot with the lid. Cook over low -medium heat and cook until the rice is tender and the
   tahdig is golden and crisp (45-60 minutes.)
7. Meanwhile, rinse barberries and soak them in some cold water to rehydrate. Heat 2 tbsp butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add drained barberries and stir for a couple of minutes,
   then add 1/2 tbsp. saffron liquid. Stir and cook for another 2 minutes.
8. Repeat the step for raisins.
   Heat more butter and sauté each of the pistachios/almonds in a bit of butter set aside.
9. Place the rice in a deep serving tray. Arrange chicken around or along. Garnish to desired design/look with barberries/pistachios/almonds/caramelized orange peel (see separate sheet for caramelizing orange peel)

Notes

• Blooming the Saffron: use 1/4tspoon of ground saffron threads, put in a cup, and add either 1
  ice cube to melt or 30ml of hot water.
• The dish can be made with other pieces of meat or you can completely eliminate meat and serve rice as is.