MOTHER’S MLOUKHIEH
MLOUKHIEH
When living abroad, jute leaf stew or Mloukhieh is probably the meal you’ve been craving most. A dish with stew, chicken broth and fresh rice is designed to seduce and linger in your memories. There are many variations of Mloukhieh that I’m fascinated to learn of. In our house, we chop our jute leaves finely (just like parsley in tabouleh) and drop them in broth right before serving. This gives way to the magic of a warm but fresh Mloukhieh stew. When I say drop in a broth, I mean in a rich chicken broth infused with garlic, onions, coriander, salt, pepper and cardamom. Mloukhieh stew is served with rice, chicken, toasted bread, and raw onions soaked in vinegar for a crisp after note.
DESCRIPTION
A celebration meal with a cook time of 1 hour and 15 minutes.
INGREDIENTS
Chicken Broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 large onions, peeled and cut into quarters
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon seven spices
4 pods of cardamom
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
1 whole chicken
Mloukhieh
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon salt
4 onions which have been cooking with the chicken broth
1½ cup chopped coriander leaves
1 teaspoon seven spices
4 cups chicken broth
Serving
2 cups Egyptian rice
2 cups water
1/2 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
5 loaves pita bread
1 cup vinegar
1 large white onion, diced or cut into rings
METHOD
Step 1: Chicken Broth (use chicken broth ingredients)
Soak 2 cups of rice in water and set aside.
Place a deep pot on the stovetop and set the heat at medium high. Add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions, salt, white pepper, seven spices, cardamom, bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Stir the onions and spices for 2 minutes. Place the whole chicken in the pot and add water until the chicken is submerged by the water. Cover the pot and cook for an hour with the heat set at medium. Once the chicken is cooked, sieve out the onions and chicken and set aside. Reserve 4 cups of chicken broth. Freeze the additional chicken broth for later.
Step 2: Rice and Bread (use the serving ingredients)
While the chicken is cooking, drain the water from the rice. Place a small deep pot on the stovetop to cook the rice in, set the heat at medium high. Add the olive oil and butter. When heated up, add the rice and salt. Stir for 2 minutes then add the water and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to medium low, cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn off the heat, keep the lid closed and let the rice rest for 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes, remove the lid a fluff the rice with a kitchen spoon.
While the rice is cooking place the pita bread in the oven or toaster until they are crispy.
Step 3: Onion and Garlic Mix (use the Mloukhieh ingredients)
Place a saucepan on the stovetop and set the heat at medium. Add the olive oil. When the oil is hot add the garlic and salt and stir for 1 minute, add the onions, coriander, seven spices and stir for 4 minutes, while crushing the cooked onions with the back of your kitchen spoon.
Step 4: Jute leaves (use the Mloukhieh ingredients)
Place a deep pot on the stovetop add the chicken broth and the onion and garlic mixture to the pot and simmer for 10 minutes on low heat with the lid covered.
Right before serving, while the broth is hot, add the jute leaves gradually while combining softly. Once everything is combined, you are ready to serve.
Step 5: Serving
In a small serving bowl, combine the vinegar and onions and set on the table.
In a bowl, add the Mloukhieh and rice. Top with your favorite part of the chicken, pieces of toasted bread and a spoonful of vinegar and onions.
A note about jute leaves:
Purchase your jute leaves a day before you plan to cook Mloukhieh. Wash them with water and lay them out flat on your kitchen table to dry overnight on a kitchen towel. In the morning, cut them finely like you would parsley for tabouleh.
Photography, Recipe, Food Styling, Prop Styling by: TALA SOUBRA
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