Sharkaseya (Egyptian-Style Circassian Chicken)

1. For the Brined Chicken: In a small bowl, thoroughly mix the salt with black pepper. Season chicken all over, inside and out, with salt mixture. Place chicken, back side down, on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.

2. For the Chicken Broth: Using paper towels, pat chicken dry. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, melt ghee over medium-high heat. Add chicken to the hot fat and sear on all sides until lightly golden, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the cardamom pods, mastic beads, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, allspice berries, whole cloves, and black peppercorns, stirring to evenly coat with the hot fat, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Add garlic, onion, celery, and sage, and cook until lightly browned in spots, about 7 minutes. Add enough boiling water to cover chicken and aromatics by 2 inches. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.

4. Reduce heat to low, partially cover the pot, and continue to simmer until chicken is tender and soup is fragrant, about 45 minutes. Using tongs, carefully remove chicken, allowing broth to fully drain from cavity, then set it on a cutting board to cool slightly. Using a fork and your hands, shred meat from chicken into strips about 1-inch long and 1/2-inch wide. Discard skin and bones, or reserve for another use.

5. Using a fine-mesh strainer, strain broth into a large bowl; discard vegetables and spices. You should have 4 1/2 cups broth; set aside 3 1/2 cups broth for recipe and reserve remaining broth for another use.

6. For the Rice: Place rice in a large bowl and cover by 2 inches with cool water. Using your hands, vigorously swish rice until water turns cloudy, about 30 seconds. Using a fine-mesh sieve, drain rice, discarding the cloudy water. Refill bowl with cool water, and repeat rinsing and draining process until water runs clear.

7. In a large saucepan, heat ghee over medium heat until it shimmers. Add cardamom, bay leaves, and mastic resin. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and resin has melted, about 1 minute.

8. Add rice and cook, stirring to evenly coat with ghee, until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Cover with 1 1/2 cups chicken broth and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until rice is tender and liquid is fully absorbed, about 17 minutes.

9. Remove pot from heat. Uncover and discard bay leaves and cardamom pods. Using a fork, fluff rice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let rice rest, uncovered, until slightly cooled, about 5 minutes. Cover pot with a clean kitchen towel to keep warm; set aside.

10. For the Walnut Sauce: In a medium pan set over medium heat, toast walnuts, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer walnuts to a bowl; let cool completely, about 15 minutes.

11. In a food processor, pulse 1 cup toasted walnuts until finely chopped, about 10 pulses. Add bread and pulse until mixture is sandy, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup warm chicken broth and let sit, stirring occasionally, until breadcrumbs fully absorb it, about 2 minutes, then blend until mixture is a thick white sauce. Coarsely chop remaining walnuts; set aside.

12. In a large stainless steel skillet, melt ghee over medium-high heat. Add garlic, ground coriander, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg, cooking until garlic is light golden and spices are fragrant, about 1 minute.

13. Add walnut mixture, stirring to combine, and simmer until creamy but pourable, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually stir in 1 cup broth until sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon but still pourable, similar to the consistency of melted ice cream, about 10 minutes. Add heavy cream, if using, and season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper. (If sauce is too thick, thin with additional chicken broth, one tablespoon at a time, until loose enough to pour. Keep in mind that sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.) Remove from heat.

14. To Assemble: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350°F (175°C).

15. Using a paper towel or pastry brush, lightly grease a Bundt pan with neutral oil. Fill pan halfway with cooked rice, firmly pressing with a flexible spatula to pack it in. Top with all but 1/2 cup shredded chicken, then cover with remaining rice, pressing again to pack it tightly. Cover tightly with foil and cook until warmed through, about 10 minutes.

16. Using oven mitts or a kitchen towel, carefully remove Bundt pan from oven. Remove foil and let rice cool slightly for 5 minutes. Cover the top of the Bundt pan with a large heat-proof plate or serving platter and quickly and carefully invert the pan. Pour 1/2 of the warm walnut sauce into the center of the rice. Garnish with remaining chopped walnuts, fresh cilantro, and reserved chicken. Serve immediately with remaining walnut sauce. 

Special Equipment

Large soup pot or Dutch oven, tongs, fine-mesh sieve, food processor, large stainless skillet, Bundt pan

Notes

You can use bone-in chicken breasts or thighs in place of a whole chicken.

Mastic gives the rice its signature piney aroma. Mastic can be found online or in Middle Eastern or Greek grocery stores.

Short-grain Egyptian rice (or Calrose rice) is ideal for sharkaseya because of its starchiness, which helps it hold its shape when molded. For a lighter texture, long-grain or basmati rice can be used, though it will yield a looser final dish. If you are using basmati rice, soak it for 15 minutes and then rinse until water runs clear and drain well before proceeding with step 8 of recipe. If using basmati rice, use a ratio of 1 part rice to 1 1/2 parts water.

Make-Ahead and Storage

The chicken broth and walnut sauce can be made up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container. Gently reheat walnut sauce in a saucepan set over medium-low heat, and add broth as needed to loosen.

Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.