Chicken fatteh bowls

Slice four regular or six small thin pitas into squares.

For baked chips, spread the pita on a baking tray, sprinkle with a quarter teaspoon salt, an eighth of a teaspoon black pepper and about a tablespoon olive oil, toss to coat and spread out with as much space as possible.

Bake at 180C for about five minutes, toss, and return for three to five minutes more until golden.

For fried chips, heat about 2 cm of vegetable oil in a frying pan on high, fry the pita about 30 seconds turning halfway, drain, then salt and pepper them while hot and toss.

Melt one tablespoon butter in a pot over medium heat and add two small pieces of mastic if you have it.

Add half a teaspoon black peppercorns, five cardamom pods and three small bay leaves and toast them in the butter until you can smell the aroma.

Add two small onions roughly quartered and three lightly smashed garlic cloves and saute a couple of minutes until lightly singed.

Add 500 g chicken breast and sear it a few minutes until lightly browned.

Pour in about two litres of water, bring to a light boil and skim the scum off the surface with a ladle or strainer.

Add two teaspoons salt and cook about 25 minutes at a medium simmer, until the chicken is fork tender.

Melt about three tablespoons butter over medium heat with two small pieces of mastic.

Add three cups washed and drained medium grain rice and fry it in the butter three to four minutes until it starts to toast.

Add strained stock through a strainer until it covers the rice by about 1 cm, then add one teaspoon salt.

Stir in a can of drained and washed cooked chickpeas, bring to a boil and cover.

Once the water level drops below the rice, turn the heat to low, cover again and steam 20 minutes, then fluff with a fork and keep covered.

For the sauce, mix 45 g tahini with 350 g yoghurt until dispersed, then add two tablespoons lemon juice, two cloves minced garlic, half a teaspoon salt, half a teaspoon black pepper and a quarter teaspoon cayenne.

Whisk in half to three quarters of a cup of the chicken stock until well combined and a little thick.

Shred the cooked chicken breast into large chunks.

Fry about a quarter cup blanched almonds in a couple tablespoons clarified butter until golden, drain on paper towel and sprinkle with salt.

To assemble, put a fifth of the bread in a bowl, pour over two tablespoons of warm stock, toss to moisten and transfer to a new bowl leaving the excess stock behind.

Add a couple tablespoons of tahini sauce, then some rice, then about two more tablespoons of stock over the rice, then a bit more tahini sauce.

Pile on the large chicken pieces and spoon over plenty of tahini sauce to cover.

Garnish with the fried almonds, a pinch of finely chopped parsley and a little Aleppo pepper flakes, then a little more crispy bread.

Serve and eat immediately while the bread is still crispy; it is usually served on a large platter.

Variation, the faster version: use shredded rotisserie chicken, pre-made stock or a stock cube, and packet or leftover rice.

Variation: for the spiced chicken, melt two tablespoons butter with one teaspoon paprika and half a teaspoon each salt, black pepper, Aleppo pepper flakes and baharat, plus a quarter teaspoon each cardamom and coriander.

Variation: add three cloves minced garlic, cook about 20 seconds, add the chicken and toss a few seconds, add a little stock for moisture, then stir in two tablespoons finely chopped parsley.

Right before serving, heat butter until boiling and pour it over the dish.