Iraqi Shabbat stew with spiced rice and chicken is usually served on Shabbat, just like Ashkenazi cholent. Below, I give two different cooking times: one for a very slowly cooked dish and one for a much faster cook. This really depends on when you want to serve it and what your oven capacity is.

I like this version so much that instead of just having the slow-cooked version, I adapted the recipe for a quicker preparation. It still takes a good hour and a half, but I prefer to have the whole dish ready before Shabbat and reheat when needed, rather than keep it in the oven for hours on end. That said, there is something really comforting about knowing that you have a pot of chicken and rice slow-cooking in the oven until you are ready to tuck in.

There are so many different versions of chicken and rice, and I am yet to find my favourite—I seem to love them all. The rice absorbs so much of the chicken flavour, making it more delicious than the sum of its parts.

Special equipment: You will need a large, oven-safe pot with a tight-fitting lid. A Dutch oven works perfectly. .

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 whole chicken
• 5-7 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 2 teaspoons black pepper, plus more as needed
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 3 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 475 ml (2 cups) chicken stock
• 1 can peeled cherry tomatoes (if you can’t get a hold of these a can of chopped tomatoes will work as well) 
• 300 g (1 ½ cups) white basmati rice, rinsed and drained

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven: Heat oven to 190°C/375°F.
2. Prepare the rice: In a large bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the rice and mix until well coated. Set aside.
3. Season the chicken: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season generously all over, including inside the cavity, with 5–7 teaspoons salt and 2 teaspoons black pepper. (If your chicken is smaller, reduce seasoning accordingly. You can do this up to 24 hours in advance. Store uncovered in the fridge, and bring to room temperature 30 minutes before cooking.)
4. Sauté the aromatics: In a large (6-quart) Dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden (7–9 minutes). Reduce heat to medium-low, sprinkle the onions with a little salt, then add garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes until softened.
5. Add spices and tomato paste: Stir in the tomato paste, cardamom, paprika, cumin, and turmeric. Cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Remove from heat and transfer the onion mixture to a small bowl. Do not wash the pot.
6. Brown the chicken: Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the same pot over medium-high. Place the chicken breast-side down and cook until golden (about 5 minutes). Carefully turn the chicken over and brown the back for another 5 minutes.
7. Assemble in the pot: Scatter the onion mixture around the chicken (not on top). Mix the canned cherry tomatoes with chicken stock in a bowl or jug and pour around the chicken (not over it). Bring to a quick boil, cover tightly, and place in the oven for 50 minutes.
8. Add the rice: Remove the pot from the oven. Using a spoon, scatter the rice evenly into the liquid around the chicken. If grains land on top of the chicken or in its wings, gently push them into the liquid. Cover again and return to the oven for 30 minutes until chicken and rice are fully cooked.
9. Rest the dish: Remove from oven and let rest, covered, for 5 minutes before serving.

MAKE AHEAD:

This dish can be made a day ahead. Reheat, covered, on a hot plate for several hours or in a hot oven (180°C/350°F) for about 20 minutes until heated through.