One of Israeli-American recipe writer Ruhama Shitrit’s first viral recipes was for t’bit, Iraqi stuffed chicken. A beloved Shabbat staple in Iraqi households, t’bit traditionally cooks overnight, low and slow stuffed with and over a bed of rice. It’s a time consuming dish, but Ruhama, in a feat of culinary genius, condensed the cooking time to less than two hours by spatchcocking the chicken and raising the heat. Her version retains all the warmth and spice of the original; now, it’s just slightly more approachable.
Read more about Ruhama Shitrit’s family journey in the Jewish Food Society “Cooking Is How Instagram Star Ruhama Shitrit Shares Herself With Her Kids”
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN:
2 tablespoons olive oil
4-5 Campari tomatoes, sliced 1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
4-5 lb. whole chicken, spatchcocked 1 1/ cups basmati rice
FOR THE SPICE MIXTURE:
2 teaspoons sea salt
1½ teaspoons baharat
1 teaspoon sumac
1¼ teaspoons cumin
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ cup tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon date syrup
2¾ cups boiling water
Fresh parsley, for garnishing Preparation
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Drizzle the olive oil in a large, oven-safe 9×13 pan, and layer the tomatoes and onions on top. Sprinkle with the fine sea salt.
- Add the chicken to the pan. Pour the rice evenly around and on top of the chicken. Combine all the ingredients for the spice mixture in a large bowl and mix together until well combined. Pour the spice mixture over the rice and chicken, then cover with a large piece of wet parchment paper and cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake the chicken in the preheated oven for 1½ hours. Remove from the oven, discard the parchment paper and aluminum foil and return to the oven, turning the oven to broil and broil for 7-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
