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Chicken, Fantastic Trick (M, TNT)
Source: Chef Israel Aharoni, printed in the Yediot Aharonot, "Aharoni Sets the Table," Sept '98.
Serves: 12

12 nice drumsticks (pulkes)
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 big shredded onions
1/2 cup water
24 pitted black prunes
3 sweet potatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Marinade:
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1-1/2 cup dry red wine
5 crushed garlic cloves
2 cm shredded fresh ginger
2 cinnamon sticks
Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Rice:
3 cups of cleaned and washed Basmati rice
1/2 cup oil
2 finely shredded onions
1 fresh red pimento (cayenne), in very small pieces
2 finely shredded garlic cloves
2 cm shredded fresh ginger
3 crushed cardamom pods
150 grams dried apricots, cut in small cubes
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads dissolved in small glass of hot water
Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Blend all of marinade ingredients, add the chicken cover with plastic wrap and place it the refrigerator for a day, or overnight.

Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade. Do NOT throw out the marinade sauce. Patiently, fry the drumsticks with oil in a big pot, turn the pieces occasionally. Add the marinade sauce, and 1/2 cup of wine, and bring to boil. Cook on low heat about 40 minutes, until chicken is shiny and caramelized.

Peel and slice the sweet potatoes, slightly thicker than 1cm. Fry onions in 1/4 cup oil, until golden, add potatoes, prunes, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and cardamom. Mix for 2 minutes and add the honey, soy sauce, and water, and bring to boil. Cook for 45 minutes, until potatoes are coated and glazed.

The rice is prepared when the chicken and potatoes are cooking.

Fry the garlic and onions in oil, until soft. Add the rest of ingredients EXCEPT rice and saffron. Mix and cook for 2 minutes. Then add the rice ,and mix well. Cover with water (2cm above the rice). Add saffron. After boil, cook for 25 minutes on low heat. Stop the cooking but DO NOT open the pot.

On the serving plate, make a pyramid of rice and decorate with chicken and potatoes. Add pomegranate grains. The chicken and potatoes can be prepared ahead, and heated before serving.

Poster's Notes:
One of the most talented chefs in Israel is no doubt Israel Aharoni. He is the author of Chinese, French, Italian and Ethnic food cooking books and a restaurant owner in the Tel Aviv Area. In his weekly column in Yediot Aharonot, "Aharoni Sets The Table," he gave a very nice recipe of sweet chicken and rice for Rosh Hashanah.

Posted by Viviane Barzel

Nutritional Info Per Serving: N/A