Albaloo Polo Bah Morg (Sour Cherry Rice with Chicken)

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1. 1Step 1: Pit 1 pound of sour cherries, add them to a pot with 2 cups of water and 1 pound of sugar. Turn the heat to low and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
2. 2Step 2: Simmer for 20 minutes until the cherries are soft. Take the cherries out of the syrup, and simmer to reduce the syrup down until it sticks to the back of your spoon. Then, add the cherries back in and bring to a boil. Then turn it off.
3. 3Step 3: In the meantime, add the chicken to a pot with 2 quartered onions, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper or peppercorns.
4. 4Step 4: Add just enough water to cover the chicken, bring to a boil, lower to a light simmer, and simmer for about 1 hour, until fully cooked through. Debone when cool enough to handle.
5. 5Step 5: Bring about 2/3 of a pot of water to boil with 3 tablespoons of salt.
6. 6Step 6: In the meantime, wash rice 3-5 times with cold to lukewarm water until water runs clear.
7. 7Step 7: Add rice to water and gently stir. Bring water back to a boil, then remove the lid to keep it from overflowing. When the rice is al dente, strain it into a colander.
8. 8Step 8: Taste rice – if it tastes salty, rinse it with cold water. Shake the colander to remove as much water as possible.
9. 9Step 9: Add 1/4 cup of oil to a pot and heat oil over medium heat. Then layer the albaloo polo bah morg. Set aside 1-2 tablespoons of each of the toasted nuts.
10. 10Step 10: Bottom Layers: 1/3 of the drained rice, then 3 tablespoons of sour cherry syrup, then 1/2 of the chicken pieces, then 1/2 cup of toasted slivered almonds.
11. 11Step 11: Middle Layers: 1/3 of the rice, then 3 tablespoons of sour cherry syrup, then the rest of the chicken pieces, then 1/2 cup of toasted slivered almonds.
12. 12Step 12: Top Layers: 1 cup of sour cherries, the rest of the rice, then 1/2 cup of pistachios.
13. 13Step 13: Put the pot on high heat, cover, and look for steam to start to collect on the inside of the lid. Once it does, pour in a half cup of strained chicken broth.
14. 14Step 14: Next, add the final 3 tablespoons of sour cherry syrup over the top of the rice. Form the rice into a dome by pressing it away from the edges of the pot. Using the stick/stem of a kitchen utensil, make 6 deep holes in the rice, then put the lid back on. After 10 minutes, turn the heat down to low heat.
15. 15Step 15: Cook the whole dish over low heat for 1 hour.
16. 16Step 16: If you are adding the recommended saffron, grind the saffron using a pestle and mortar. Then, steep it in 2 tablespoons of hot water while the albaloo polo is cooking. When the rice has finished cooking, pour the steeped saffron and water over the top of the rice.
17. 17Step 17: Mix the whole dish together by fluffing it with two forks. Garnish with the extra toasted pistachios and almonds as the very last step. Noushijan!