4 to 5 cups chicken stock or poaching liquid if poaching your own chicken
A fat pinch saffron threads
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 pound thin linguine, broken into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
3 tablespoons golden raisins or currants
4 cups pulled cooked chicken (use store-bought rotisserie or poach your own*)
1 cup fresh shelled peas
1/2 cup sliced almonds or pine nuts, toasted
1 tablespoon lemon or orange zest
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
* For the chicken:
1 4-pound chicken
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
1 leek, halved and quartered across
1 onion, halved
2 celery ribs with leafy tops, quartered across
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
2 large fresh bay leaves
6 to 8 peppercorns
1 lemon, sliced