Chicken and saffron rice with pomegranate salsa

This is quite a striking one-pan meal thanks to the combination of saffron, pistachios and pomegranates. Baking the rice in this way will also give you tahdig (crispy rice) around the bottom and edges of the pan. Be sure to begin by washing and soaking the rice before you get on with everything else; your rice needs to soak for at least 20 minutes to remove some of the starch, but you can also soak it for up to 2 hours if you like. The saffron gives the rice a wonderful color but also a unique flavor profile. You could swap this out for about 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric but the flavor will be quite different. Serve with a simple chopped salad and some yogurt, if you like.