A rich, savoury rice dish for important occasions. Its name reveals its Goanese roots (pilau is an Indian word for rice).

1 chicken

1 lb 2 oz | 500g rice

1 chouriço

2 boiled eggs

3 fresh tomatoes

1 tsp tomato paste (optional)

1 onion, diced

spring onions

garlic

bay leaves

cloves

salt

white pepper

olive oil

raisins

Roast or fry the chicken and cut it into eight pieces. Cook and cut the chouriço into slices and the boiled eggs into cubes. Cut the spring onions into thin slices and brown.

Cook the rice with just salt and little water and let it cool well. Sauté (in plenty of olive oil) the onion, garlic, bay leaf, cloves, chopped tomato and tomato concentrate, letting it cook, and fry the rice, coating it well in the sauce. (You can also make tomato rice in the traditional Portuguese way, but frying the rice well before adding water to cook it.)

Place the rice on a platter and garnish with the chicken pieces and the remaining ingredients, leaving the fried bread and onion for the last layer, so they don’t soften.

Serve with a side dish of olives, peas and chick peas, cooked and sautéed in oil