Molokhia

Make the base broth(some of which will be used to make the molokehya stew): Rinse the chicken under running water, rub with salt, rinse well, and place in a deep stainless steel pot. Add enough filtered water to cover the chicken and set on high heat. Add onion (chopped in fourths), bay leaves, cardamom pods, salt and pepper to the boiling chicken. Lower to medium heat and cook for 40 min to an hour (depending on chicken weight), until chicken is fully cooked and has reached an internal temperature of 190F.

Roast the chicken: Remove the cooked chicken and place it in a baking dish. Add a tablespoon of ghee, and your herbs or spices of choice, spread it on the chicken, and broil in the oven for 10-12 minutes on a temperature of 400F until golden brown, flipping the chicken on the other side to roast midway.

Make the garlic-coriander mixture:Using a mortar and pestle or a handheld electric grinder, mince 10 cloves of garlic. In a separate pot, melt 1 tablespoon of butter or ghee and add the crushed garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of ground coriander and a few drops of lemon juice to the garlic. Sauté the mixture for 2 minutes or until a little browned.

Mix it all together: Add 8-10 cups of the freshly made chicken broth to the garlic-coriander mixture. Simmer for 2 minutes. Try to break the molokhia (if frozen) into a few pieces first, then add them to the soup, stirring continuously to break up the frozen pieces. If using fresh leaves, simply drop the minced leaves into the broth and stir. Boil only for about 5 minutes until the molokhia is well mixed. Make sure not to overcook or keep boiling as molokhia needs to be suspended (overcooking makes the leaves fall to the bottom). Many people add white rice to the molokhia, and some add crushed pieces of toasted pita bread. Others, like my grandma, would add the roasted chicken or duck, cut up into pieces into the molokhia. Personally, I now do neither. If I have rice, I only add a spoonful. And I enjoy the roasted bird or meat on the side, to better savor the flavors individually. But of course, there is no rule about how to eat molokhia – it is a matter of preference and tradition! In any case, the only rule is to savor every bite and to eat it while hot, because the flavor of molokhia is unparalleled.