Jerusalem Chicken and Rice

Last night I was searching for new chicken recipes and couldn't seem to find anything interesting - Foodgawker, Cooking Channel, Food & Wine... come on guys - give me something new! Somehow I stumbled on to this article on (of all places) the New York Times. There's a great looking cookbook called "Jerusalem: A Cookbook" (which is now in my Amazon shopping cart). I adapted the recipe for what I had in the pantry. I can't wait to see if the rest of this book is as awesome and flavorful as this dish is. Cardamom, cranberries, dill, and cilantro - what a surprising, delicious combination! Enjoy!
   

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
• 6-8 large boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 3/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp fresh ground pepper 
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1 1/4 cups white rice
• 2-3 cups chicken stock
• 1 tbsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup dill leaves, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
• salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

1. Place the chicken in a large ziploc bag. Add half the olive oil, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and pepper to the bag. Massage well so the chicken is evenly coated; set aside.
2. Heat the rest of the olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for 20+ minutes until the onion turns golden brown. Add the garlic and cook another 3 minutes until fragrant. Transfer the onion/garlic to a bowl. Leave the remaining oil in the pan.
3. Turn the heat up to medium. Remove the chicken from the bag and arrange it in a single layer in the pan. Sear chicken for 4 minutes on each side so they are nicely browned. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. 
4. Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in another pan; bring to a simmer. 
5. Add the cooked onions, rice, cranberries, and another 1/2 tsp salt and pepper to the main pan. Stir everything together and place the chicken on top of the rice mixture, nestling it into the rice.
6. Pour the chicken stock over the rice and chicken, covering the rice and up to the top of the chicken. Cover the pan. Turn the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes, until the rice is cooked through. (Keep an eye on the rice - if the stock evaporates while the rice is still crunchy, add some more stock.)
7. After the rice is finished cooking, fluff it with a fork. Add the lemon juice, dill, and cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Yum!