Blueberry and pomegranate Tahchin

Those who make only sweet items with blueberry have not yet discovered the savory side of the summertime favorite fruit. To illuminate the way, in this post I fuse the classic Persian Tahchin with blueberries. The flavor profile is built by merging two well-known sub-profiles ("lemon+bluenberry" and "lemon+mint"). In my first recipe try out, with the result shown below, I only used the aforementioned ingredients. 

As the flavor was lacking and some liaison agents were needed,  I added pomegranate, parsley, and some spices. The resulting phenomenal Tahchin is highly recommended to the typical blueberry lover who only consumes sweet items.   

Chicken mixture:

1 Pound (~450 gr or 2 medium) boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 TBSP caramelized onions 

1 TSP salt

½ Ounce (~14 gr or 1 TBSP) parsley, finely chopped

½ cup pomegranate juice, reduced to 2 TBSP (or use molasses)

Saffron custard:

2 cups Jasmine, Basmati, or long grain rice

7.05 Ounces (200 gr or ¾ cup) thick 5% yogurt (or sour cream)

1 TBSP butter, melted

½ TSP salt
Pinch of powdered saffron or 1 TBSP of rich saffron solution

Blueberry compote:

3.52 (~100 gr) blueberries (fresh or frozen)

1 TBSP butter

1 lemon, juice and zest

½ Ounce (~14 gr or 1 TBSP) mint, finely chopped

¼ TSP allspice

½ TSP coriander powder

To make the chicken stuffing:

• Coarsely chop or process the breast meat. Add the caramelized onions, parsley, and salt. Mix in the reduced pomegranate juice.

To make the blueberry compote:

• Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan, set on medium heat. Cook until thick with a syrup consistency. 

To make the Tah-chin mixture:

• Parboil and drain the rice, following these instructions.
• Make the custard by mixing melted butter, yogurt, salt, and saffron solution.
• Mix half of the drained rice with the custard and the other half with blueberry compote.

Assemble Tah-chin:

• Rub some cold butter (or oil) on the bottom and sides of a 2 to 3 Qt. glassware baking dish. Evenly spread the yellow half of the rice mixture on the bottom and sides of the dish. 
• Evenly spread the chicken mince mixture on the bottom of the chamber, created by sticking the rice to the pan edges. 
•  Evenly spread the rest of the blueberry rice mixture on the previously laid chicken mixture. 
• Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 375°F (~190°C) for forty-five minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another fifteen to twenty minutes or until the crust is golden brown.