Molokhia bil Ferakh

Ingredients

• 1.5kg whole chicken, jointed
• 1 onion
• 3 bay leaves
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 8 black peppercorns
• 2 tsp fine salt
• 1.2 litres water
• 500g frozen chopped molokhia
• 10 garlic cloves
• 1.5 tsp ground coriander
• 0.25 tsp cayenne pepper
• 60g ghee
• 1 lemon
• 300g cooked Egyptian short-grain rice or 4 rounds baladi bread, to serve

Before you cook

• Take the frozen molokhia out of the freezer 30 minutes before you start so it begins to soften
• Peel and halve the onion
• Peel the garlic cloves and pound them to a smooth paste with half a teaspoon of the salt in a mortar
• Cut the lemon into wedges

Steps

1. Put the chicken pieces into a large pot with the onion, bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon and peppercorns.
2. Pour over the water and bring the pot to the boil.
3. Skim off the grey foam that rises to the surface.
4. Turn the heat down and simmer the chicken gently for 40 minutes until it is tender.
5. Lift the chicken pieces onto a tray and season them with a little salt.
6. Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a clean pan and discard the aromatics.
7. Heat the grill and brown the chicken pieces for 8 minutes until the skin is crisp, then keep them warm.
8. Bring 900ml of the strained broth to a simmer in the clean pan.
9. Add the softened molokhia and stir gently until it has melted into the broth.
10. Let the soup come to a bare tremble, then turn the heat to its lowest setting and cook for 4 minutes without ever letting it boil hard.
11. Melt the ghee in a small frying pan over medium heat.
12. Add the pounded garlic and fry it for 40 seconds until it just turns pale gold, stopping before it browns.
13. Stir the ground coriander and cayenne into the garlic and count to five.
14. Pour the sizzling ta'leya straight into the molokhia and clap the lid on so the aroma is trapped.
15. Stir the soup once, season with the remaining salt, and take it off the heat.
16. Ladle the molokhia into bowls, set the grilled chicken alongside, and serve with rice and lemon wedges.