If you’re like me, you will constantly ask yourself the same question every week: “What should I make for Shabbat this week?” I like changing things up from week to week but that’s not always easy to do since I get home only moments before dinnertime each Friday. When I know that it’s going to be a bit too late to make a nice Shabbat dinner, I make this go-to chicken and rice dish. It looks gorgeous, tastes incredible, comes together in no time, and you can make it all in one pan that goes straight into the oven. Could you really ask for more? Well, there is more…you can assemble this a day ahead of time and throw it in the oven when you get home. Yes, it is a Shabbat dream come true.
Sumac, that beautiful reddish-purple, tangy spice has more uses than you can imagine. I seem to use it in every recipe that I use lemon in like salad dressings, over fish, on avocado toast, and on chicken.
It not only gives this chicken a gorgeous hue, but rubbing the spice mix under the skin of the chicken ensures that the flavor penetrates into the meat. Don’t skip that step!
The rice that the chicken sits on top isn’t your basic white rice either. It’s tossed with turmeric, pine nuts and berberis (or barberries). These little dried berries are tangy and bring a beautiful pop of color to the rice. If you cannot find them, you can substitute them out for cranberries. This method of cooking the chicken on top of the rice is insanely good. All of the good chicken juices drip onto the rice that just soaks them all up.
Make this for any holiday–it’s not just for Shabbat dinner! It can feed a crowd if you double the recipe too with no additional effort.
