Smoked Chicken Rice
The charcoal trick is the star: chicken simmered with whole spices, garlic, tomato paste and a spoon of BBQ sauce over basmati, then a glowing ember set in a little dish of oil, covered with the pot lid — minutes later the whole dish breathes real smoke.
How to Prepare
Sauté the onion and bell pepper, then brown the chicken with the whole spices, black pepper, turmeric, salt and garlic.
Stir in the tomato paste and BBQ sauce, add water and simmer until the chicken is nearly cooked; lift the chicken out.
Add the washed basmati to the broth and cook until fluffy and the liquid is absorbed.
Brush the chicken with the olive oil, pepper molasses, lemon and pepper mix, and brown it in the oven or a hot pan until burnished; return it to sit over the rice.
Light a piece of charcoal until glowing, set it in a small dish on the rice and pour 2 tbsp of oil over it.
Cover immediately and let the smoke work for a few minutes, then remove the dish and serve.
Do not skip pouring the oil on the ember — that sizzle is what releases the cloud of smoke that perfumes every grain.