Persian Tahchin (Baked Saffron Rice Cake)

Directions

• In a small bowl combine crushed saffron with 2 tablespoon hot water and set aside.
• In a small bowl combine ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric, ½ teaspoon dried parsley, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper. Season both sides of each chicken breast.
• Heat a pan over medium high heat and add 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil. When oil is hot, add the chicken breasts. Cook chicken until browned, about 5 minutes.
• Flip chicken over and brown other side. Reduce heat to and add 2 TBS lemon juice. Cover pan and cook until chicken is done, about 10 minutes.
• Remove chicken from heat and shred it with two forks. Add 1 teaspoon of saffron water to chicken juices in the pan and mix with shredded chicken. Reserve.
• In a medium-sized bowl soak rice with water. Gently wash the rice by stirring the rice in the water with your hand. This helps wash some of the starch and grit out. Pour out the water and repeat two more times.
• After washing the rice a third time, rinse and then cover rice with water and add 1 tablespoon salt.
• In a 5-quart non-stick pot add 8 cups of water and 1 TBS salt and bring to boil. When the water has come to boil, pour out the water in the bowl containing the soaking rice. Add the wet rice to the boiling water.
• When the water boils again and the rice floats to the top of the pot (approx. 6 mins), pour the contents of the pot into a fine colander. You know your rice is ready to strain if you bite a rice kernel and the center is still uncooked. Allow rice to cool slightly before mixing with yogurt and eggs
• Preheat oven to 500ºF.
• In a very large mixing bowl whisk together yogurt and egg yolks until smooth. Stir in remaining saffron water. Add the drained and cooled rice and gently mix until all of the rice is coated and yellow.
• Use 1 TBS butter to grease the bottom and sides of a 9×13 pyrex pan.
• Spread half of the rice mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan.
• Spread the shredded chicken over the rice layer.
• Top with the remaining half of rice mixture.
• Cover with foil and place in the oven. If you like your tahchin crispy, reduce heat to 450ºF and bake for 30 minutes, then reduce to 350ºF and bake for 1 hour. If you do not want it crunch, reduce heat to 400ºF bake for 30 minutes then reduce to 350ºF and bake for 1 hour. Rotate the dish halfway through the cooking time to insure even browning.
• Right before serving, heat a small pan over medium high heat. Melt 1 TBS of butter then add zereshk and sugar. Once sugar is mixed and combined, remove from heat.
• To serve, remove foil and place a large serving platter over the rice. Carefully invert and remove the pan. Top with chopped pistachios, almond slivers and zereshsk.