
Chef Einat Admony's Persian-Style Crusty Chicken Maqloubeh
What could be better than a one-stop pot? With a salad next to this dish, you have a whole meal!
TYPE | MAIN COURSE |
SERVES | 6 TO 8 |
DIFFICULTY | HARD |
PREP TIME | 1 HOUR |
COOK TIME | 2 HOURS |


Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant or 2 smaller Japanese eggplants
- Kosher salt
- 3 large or 4 small chicken legs, thighs and drumsticks separated
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 6 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large cauliflower, cored and cut into bit-sized florets
- 5.5 cups boiling water
- 1.5 tsp baharat
- 1.5 tsp turmeric, ground
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground
- 3 cups jasmine rice
- Harissa (storebought or homemade)
Lemon Tahini
- 1 cup raw tahini
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (plus more to taste)
- Ice water
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt (plus more as needed)
- 1 small garlic clove, grated or minced
Directions
- Using a vegetable peeler, peel the eggplant from top to bottom in zebra stripes. Slice it lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick planks, then halve each plank horizontally and transfer to a colander set in the sink or over a bowl. Cover the eggplant generously with salt and let sit for 30 to 45 minutes to draw out the water.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Season the chicken thighs and drumsticks with a generous pinch each of salt and pepper and let sit at room temperature while you work on everything else.
- Rinse the eggplant thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels. Put the eggplant in a mixing bowl, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, season lightly with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Spread the eggplant over one of the prepared baking sheets. Put the cauliflower in the same bowl, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, season lightly with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Spread the cauliflower over the second prepared baking sheet. Roast the vegetables until tender and golden, 20 to 25 minutes for the eggplant and 30 to 35 minutes for the cauliflower.
- While the veggies are in the oven, put the rice in a medium bowl, add 2 cups water, and set aside to soak for 20 to 30 minutes. Drain and rinse several times under running water (this will make the rice less starchy).
- Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in a large heavy nonstick pan such as the NS Pro Nonstick 12 Inch Fry Pan with Lid or a Dutch oven over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chicken pieces in one layer, skin-side down, and sear, without flipping the pieces, until the skin is crispy and golden brown, about 5 minutes—you only want to brown the skin, not cook the chicken through.
- Arrange three-quarters of the rice over the chicken in the pot, making sure the rice is tucked between the chicken pieces (during cooking, the rice will trickle down between them). Add a layer of the eggplant, followed by a layer of the cauliflower. Top with the remaining rice and smooth it into an even layer.
- Whisk together the boiling water, baharat, turmeric, cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon salt and slowly pour the mixture over the rice, taking care not to disrupt the layers. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook over low heat for 1 hour, or until the rice is cooked through. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook for another 5 minutes; if you’re lucky, this will brown the bottom part of the rice and form a crust.
- Wet a large kitchen towel with cold water and place it on a heatproof surface on the counter. Place the pot on the towel and let it sit, covered, for 3 minutes to cool the bottom and prevent the rice from sticking (this is the trick unstick!).
- Remove the lid and run a spatula around the walls of the pot to release the rice. Place a large flat serving plate over the top of the pot and, holding the pot and the plate together, flip them over in one swift, decisive move. Lift off the pot or pan carefully to reveal the gorgeous rice and chicken “cake.” Serve at once, with lemon tahini and harissa alongside.
- You can make the dish a few hours ahead. Once assembled, cook the maqloubeh for 50 minutes over low heat. When ready to serve, cook for another 10 minutes over low heat and then 10 minutes over high heat, then let cool and unmold as directed.
- To make the lemon tahini, mix raw tahini and lemon juice together in a small bowl. Then add cold water while mixing until reaching desired thickness. Add salt and garlic and adjust flavors before serving.
Pro Tip
To keep the crust from sticking, it helps to use a nonstick pan and employ the trick detailed in the method to cool the crust before flipping.


RECIPE BY
Einat Admony
Admony is a pillar of the international Israeli cooking community. Her food tells an intricate story of strong immigrant roots and living the American Dream. Having grown up in Tel Aviv, she served as a cook in the Israeli Army before traveling Europe to work in kitchens, and eventually landing in New York City as an ambitious young chef. After 15+ years leading the New York culinary scene and establishing multiple restaurants, Admony continues to innovate and inspire with elevated yet comforting homestyle cooking from her childhood. Admony is a double-time champion and competitor of Food Network’s Chopped and Throwdown! with Bobby Flay. She has been featured by The New York Times, Bon Appetit, HuffPost, Forbes, among many others. Admony has authored two cookbooks with Artisan Books: Balaboosta (2013) and Shuk (2019). In 2014, she was a recipient of the Great Immigrants Award from Carnegie Corporation of New York for exemplary contributions to American life. Outside of leading several expanding food businesses, Admony can be found at home in Brooklyn or at her country house in the Hudson Valley, cooking for her two children, Liam and Mika, her husband and business partner, Stefan Nafziger, and a steady stream of dinner party guests.
To learn more about this chef, please visit their website at chefeinat.com
Connect with them on social Instagram: @chefeinat and Facebook: Chef Einat