Title: Sesa Hameen (Sabbath Chicken)
Categories: Jewish Kurdistan Israel Poultry
Yield: 6 Servings

2		(3 lbs ea) whole chickens
1	c	Raw rice, well rinsed
1	lb	(2 c) ripe tomatoes or equal amount of canned, chopped
1/2	ts	-Salt
1/2	ts	Ground turmeric
1	ts	Paprika
1/3	lb	Boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-in cubes or lamb, see
1	tb	Raw chicken fat (optional) water

In some Middle Eastern communities, an ingenious electric plate oven is used for hameen. This is a round dish, abt 30-inches in diameter w/heating element underneath. An inner plate supports pan or anything else that is being cooked, roasted, or baked. A tight cover seal in heat. The plate oven is usually left on floor of the kitchen. The electricity can be controlled from very low to hot & is an idea method of cooking hameen overnight. The traditional food was formerly cooked over charcoal fires.

1. Rinse chickens in cold water. Dry, & discard skin & fat. 2. Prepare a stuffing w/rice, tomato, salt, turmeric, paprika, cubed chicken breast & raw chicken fat, if desired. Mix together. Stuff chickens & sew up openings. 3. Put chicken in a pan large enough to both, & just cover them w/water, abt 3-1/2 cups. Cover pan & bring to a boil over moderate heat on top of stove. Then bake chicken in the oven in very low heat, abt 200F., from just before Sabbath on Friday to noon next day. The very slow cooking over many hrs produces a meltingly rich concoction of chicken & rice. Serve warm. Serves 6 to 8.

VARIATION: Use 1/2 pound of ground lamb in place of chicken breast for a more meaty stuffing.

Recipe: "Sephardic Cooking" by Copeland Mark -- 600 Recipes Created in Exotic Sephardic Kitchens from Morocco to India -- Copyright 1992 Published by Donald I. Fine, Inc., New York, N.Y. D. Pilleggi

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