Roast chicken served over spiced rice on a metal platter with a cup of honey water

Saddam Hussein's Last Meal

Chicken & Rice with Honey Water

Name: Chicken & Rice with Honey Water
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken (about 1.5kg), jointed; 400g basmati rice, rinsed and soaked 20 minutes; 1 large onion, finely sliced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tsp baharat spice mix; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 1 cinnamon stick; 2 bay leaves; 3 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil; 800ml chicken stock; Salt and black pepper; 2 tbsp honey and 250ml hot water, to serve

“The dictator's final request was surprisingly humble.”

2006Baghdad, IraqEasy15 mins prep + 45 minsServes 4

The Case

Saddam Hussein was executed in Baghdad on 30 December 2006, after being convicted by the Iraqi High Tribunal of crimes against humanity.

Reports at the time indicated that his final meal was simple: chicken and rice, accompanied by hot water with honey. He reportedly ate little of it.

The plainness of the meal — a dish eaten in homes across Iraq — became a widely reported detail, standing in stark contrast to the scale of the events that led to the trial.

The Recipe

Ingredients

1 whole chicken (about 1.5kg), jointed
400g basmati rice, rinsed and soaked 20 minutes
1 large onion, finely sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp baharat spice mix
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
3 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
800ml chicken stock
Salt and black pepper
2 tbsp honey and 250ml hot water, to serve

Method

01
Season the chicken pieces well with salt, pepper and 1 tsp of the baharat. Heat the ghee in a heavy casserole and brown the chicken on all sides. Remove and set aside.
02
Add the onion to the same pot and cook gently until golden, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, remaining baharat, turmeric, cinnamon stick and bay leaves and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03
Drain the rice and add it to the pot, stirring to coat in the spiced ghee.
04
Pour in the stock, return the chicken to the pot, cover and simmer over low heat for 25-30 minutes until the rice is tender and the chicken cooked through.
05
Remove from the heat and rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and discard the cinnamon and bay leaves.
06
Stir the honey into hot water until dissolved and serve alongside the chicken and rice.

Chef’s Note

Resting the pot off the heat is what gives the rice its separate, fluffy grains. Don't lift the lid early.

Case Files