Recipes-not-recipes #28

A riff on chicken biryani

The pan predetermined whether this was going to work. Too flat for the layering necessary in biryani – marinated chicken, rice, herbs, repeat. Besides, cooking in someone else’s kitchen can feel like writing with your other hand - distantly familiar. My friend Mehlaqa does the best biryani, part of its goodness is taking the Thames Clipper from Tower Pier to Royal Docks, amidst the sky high buildings that curve along the river, floating up to the sixth floor and eating it in her flat, where it feels like Vancouver, the balcony doors flung open, releasing heavenly spiced scents out into the world. Because of this, I’d avoided even trying it, but I happened to be in possession of four chicken thighs and some yoghurt that needed to be used up. What transpired was this spicy, crispy, sticky pan of gorgeousness; definitively not a biryani, but delicious nonetheless. It had the qualities of my favourite roasted chicken over rice combo, but was far less time consuming to make.