Tahcheen - Crispy Rice with Chicken, Safferon and Yogurt

Ingredients:

•  whole chicken legs x 2 skinned
• onion x 1 chopped
• basmati rice x 2 cups
• turmeric x 1 pinch
• full fat yogurt x 1.5 cups
• egg yolk x 1 large or 2 small 
• saffron x 1/3 tsp diluted in 1/2 cup of boiled kettle water
• slivered almonds x 1/4 cup
• oil, salt, pepper

Wash and rinse and soak the rice in salted water for 2 hours (I let it sit over night). Fry the onion with salt, pepper and turmeric. Season the chicken and add it to the onion, brown both sides, add a bit of water, cover, turn down the heat and cook for 20 minutes. Take off the heat, cover and let it rest. While chicken is cooking, beat the yogurt, mix with egg yolk, saffron and add salt and pepper. Pre-heat the oven to 250 F. Bring a pot of water to boil, salt generously. Drain the rice and cook in the boiling water just until a bit soften. Make sure not to overcook the rice, it should still be hard to eat. Drain the water and rinse the rice. De-bone and shred the chicken. In a casserole type baking dish, cover the bottom with oil and a few spoons of the yogurt mixture. Add a layer of rice, a layer of chicken and onion and a sprinkle of slivered almonds. Continue this until everything is used up, finishing with some oil or some chopped butter. Place in the oven for 2 to 5 hours (I baked it for 4 hours). Serve with yogurt and Persian style pickled vegetables.