Moghrabieh

Instructions

1. 1
   Place the bone-in chicken pieces in a large stockpot along with the cinnamon stick, bay leaves, an onion wedge, and salt. Cover with water, bring to a boil, skim the surface foam, and simmer for 40 minutes until the chicken is tender.
2. 2
   Pull the chicken from the stock, discard skin and bones, and shred the meat into substantial rustic chunks. Strain the remaining hot broth and set aside.
3. 3
   In a secondary deep pot, melt a tablespoon of ghee or butter over medium heat and drop in the whole pearl onions. Sauté until they start to develop golden caramel edges.
4. 4
   Pour about 1 liter of the hot chicken stock over the onions, then stir in 1 tablespoon of ground caraway, half a teaspoon of cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the onions turn buttery soft.
5. 5
   Toss the cooked chickpeas and shredded chicken into the onion pot, lowering the heat to a bare whisper to let the meats infuse in the spiced broth.
6. 6
   Meanwhile, melt the remaining ghee or butter in a wide skillet. Add the dry Moghrabieh pearls and toast them for 3-5 minutes, tossing constantly until they turn glossy and lightly golden.
7. 7
   Add the second tablespoon of ground caraway, cinnamon, and allspice directly to the hot grains, allowing the dry spices to bloom in the fat.
8. 8
   Ladle the chicken broth over the pearls incrementally (similar to a risotto technique), letting the grains swell and absorb the spiced liquid before adding more. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until tender with an al dente center bite.
9. 9
   To plate traditionally: pile a generous foundation of the spiced Moghrabieh pearls onto a large shared platter. Crown the apex with the warm chicken, chickpeas, and sweet melted pearl onions.
10. 10
    Ladle an extra splash of the rich concentrated broth over the entire platter and serve steaming hot.