Persian Chicken, Made Easy

by Dana Jacobi for The American Institute for Cancer Research

Using chicken breast with ribs in my deconstructed take of Fesenjan keeps the meat moist. In the roasting pan, juices combine with the glaze to make a generous amount of beautiful sauce.

Beneath the chicken, the bed of brown rice with dried cherries and walnuts that I make is more moist than a Persian pilaf. To be sure that the rice does not stick to the pot, check it after 30 minutes, adding a quarter-cup warm water if it seems needed.
Make just the chicken for a week-night dinner, if you like. Thinly sliced and served over the rice, it makes a dish pretty enough to share with company.

Pomegranate-Glazed Chicken Breast with Cherry Brown Rice Pilaf - Makes 4 servings.

2 cups or 1 bottle (16-oz.) pomegranate juice
1 tsp. garlic powder
Cooking spray
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
1 Tbsp. canola oil
3/4 cup long-grain brown rice
1 cup fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 ¼ cup cold water, divided
1/4 cup chopped dried sweet cherries
1/4 cup chopped scallion, green part only
3 Tbsp. chopped walnuts
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
2 skinless chicken breasts (12-oz. each) with ribs
For glaze, boil pomegranate juice and garlic powder in medium saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup and slightly syrupy, about 30 to 40 minutes. Set aside to cool to lukewarm.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

For rice, in medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sauté shallots until limp, 4 minutes. Stir in rice. Add chicken broth and 1 cup cold water. Cover, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until rice is tender, about 45 minutes. Let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Mix in cherries, scallions, walnuts and cinnamon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, place chicken breasts in baking dish, rib side down. Coat chicken with glaze, using 2 tablespoons, plus salt and pepper. Pour in 1/4 cup cold water. Bake chicken until an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees. or it no longer looks pink at the center of the thickest point, about 45 minutes, brushing it with additional glaze every 10 minutes and pouring on any remaining glaze after the last brushing. Set baked chicken aside for 10 minutes.

To serve, remove chicken from bones and cut it diagonally into thin slices. Divide rice among four dinner plates and top each serving with one-fourth of chicken. Pour 2 or 3 tablespoons of the pan juices over the chicken and serve.

Per serving: 470 calories, 15 g total fat ( 2 g saturated fat), 54 g carbohydrate, 33 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber, 230 mg sodium.