Tara Khattar’s chicken and beef mouloukhiyeh

For the mouloukhiyeh

1. In a saucepan, boil the chicken for 50 minutes in 2 liters of water with a cinnamon stick, bay leaf, carrot, half a sliced lemon, small onion, salt, and pepper.
2. Remove the chicken from the broth, bone it, remove the skin, and keep it warm in a dish.
3. Strain the broth.
4. In a pressure cooker, boil the beef cubes for 20 minutes in 2 liters of water with a cinnamon stick, bay leaf, carrot, small onion, salt, and pepper.
5. Remove the beef from the broth and keep it warm. Strain the broth through a fine sieve.
6. Peel and chop the onion, pour the grape vinegar over it, and let it sit for 30 minutes.
7. Wash, dry, and chop the fresh mouloukhiyeh leaves.
8. Wash and chop the coriander.
9. Crush the garlic cloves.
10. In a skillet, sauté the garlic and coriander in melted butter for 5 minutes. Set aside.
11. Toast the pita breads and crumble them. Set aside.
12. Combine the chicken broth and the beef broth and bring to a boil.
13. Add the leaves, the coriander and garlic mixture, then boil for 10 to 15 minutes.
14. Pour in the lemon juice and baking soda.

For the white rice

1. Soak the rice in cold water for about 10 minutes, then rinse it well.
2. Heat oil or butter in a saucepan over high heat.
3. Sauté the rice for a few minutes before adding water and salt.
4. Bring to a boil.
5. Lower the heat, cover, and continue cooking for 20 minutes, until all the water is absorbed.
6. Fluff the rice with a fork before serving.

Plating

1. Serve the rice in deep plates, add pieces of beef and chicken, then ladle the mouloukhiyeh soup over and sprinkle with crumbled toasted bread.
2. Place the marinated onions on the side to add to the dish.

This recipe is taken from the book "Liban, une histoire de cuisine familiale, d'amour et de partage", by Tara Khattar, published by Hachette in 2020. The 100 recipes in this book are each a tribute to the legacy her grandmothers passed down to her in the kitchen. She learned everything from their hands and strives, with success, to transmit the happiness and feeling of fulfillment she feels with every recipe she prepares.