• Two chicken thighs, skin on and bone in, salted
• 200g-ish rice, well washed
• Two onions or five shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
• Four cardamom pods, smashed – make sure you get all the seeds in
• Two tsp cumin
• Two tsp ground coriander
• Two tsp sumac
• Two tsp chilli flakes
• One tsp turmeric
• Two cloves
• Three cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• A handful of fresh coriander, thinly slice the stalks and separate the leaves
• Chicken stock
• Two tbsp barberries
• Two eggs, medium boiled
• Salt
• Pepper

Preheat the oven to 180. In the lidded pot that you’re going to cook the finished dish (I like the formerly white pot), place the chicken skin-side down and put over a medium heat. Allow to cook until crispy and it’s left chicken fat and fond on the bottom of the pan. Remove and put to one side.

Turn the pot down to medium-low and add the onions to cook slowly in the chicken fat. Give them plenty of time, 25 minutes at least, until golden brown and sweet and soft. Add the spices, the coriander stalks and the garlic and cook out until fragrant, another few minutes, while being sure not to burn the garlic. Add the rice and the barberries, then stir it through thoroughly.

Add sufficient chicken stock until all is covered, plus maybe an inch extra, season, and place the chicken skin side up on top. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and put in the oven for 25 minutes or so.

After 25 minutes, take the lid off the pot and allow to cook for another five minutes until the liquid is soaked up and the top of the rice is a little coloured. Optionally you can drizzle pomegranate molasses over the top before this uncovered cooking. Finish with the fresh coriander and the medium boiled eggs.