Fesenjan Persian Chicken Stew Recipe

Autumn is here, and in our little corner of Sacramento, that indicates walnuts as well as pomegranates. Initially the walnuts make a look, dropping easily out of their thick environment-friendly husks.

If the area crows are fortunate, walnuts will certainly jump into the sidewalk to be run over by passing automobiles, producing an immediate banquet for the birds. If not, the crows will certainly scoop up entire walnuts in their beaks, fly high and drop them, wishing the nuts fracture open when they hit the ground.

Alongside ripen are the pomegranates. With the shorter days the pomegranates come to be ruby red, yet that does not mean they're prepared. It's when they start to split open, revealing the gems inside, that it's time to choose.

When my buddy Kerissa ended the other day and also suggested that we make her favorite Fesenjan, a Persian chick stew with a sauce of toasted walnuts and pomegranate molasses, I could not wait to try it.

I never ever would certainly have believed to make a sauce with walnuts as well as pomegranates, however it's an excellent combination! The toasted walnuts are rich and also cozy and also the pomegranate molasses sharp as well as berry toned. Cooked gradually with the hen, the sauce is stunning. Bowl-licking excellent.

The only ingredient that could be a little uncommon is the pomegranate molasses. You could make your own with pomegranate juice, some sugar as well as lemon juice (see our recipe for pomegranate molasses), or seek it at Whole Foods or a store that lugs Middle Eastern ingredients.

Fesenjan Persian Chicken Stew Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutesCook time: 2 hoursYield: Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 to 2 large yellow onions, sliced, (3 mugs).
• 2 Tbps saltless butter.
• 3 Tbsp olive oil.
• 5 Tbsp pomegranate molasses.
• 1/2 pound walnut halves (about 2 mugs).
• 2 lbs boneless skinless hen upper legs and/or breasts, trimmed of excess fat, cut right into medium size pieces, patted dry as well as salted.
• 2 mugs chicken stock.
• 2 Tbsp plus 2 tsps of sugar.
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric.
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon.
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg.
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper.
• Salt.

Method

Toast and grind the walnuts: You can toast the walnuts in one of two means. You can either spread them out in a single layer in a large skillet, as well as toast them on tool high heat, stirring often up until gently toasted, OR you can spread them out in a solitary layer in a cooking rimmed cooking sheet, and also toast at 350 ° F in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

In either situation, when toasted, get rid of from warmth as well as enable to cool. When cool enough to take care of, pulse in a food processor or blender till carefully ground.

Brown the chicken pieces on all sides: In a huge frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high warmth.

When the butter has actually thawed, pat the hen pieces dry once more as well as position the poultry pieces in the frying pan, operating in sets if essential to not crowd the pan, and also cook until gold brown on all sides. Sprinkle the hen with salt while they are cooking.

Sauté the onions: Use a slotted spoon or tongs to eliminate the poultry from the frying pan, set aside. Include a tbsp of butter and a tbsp of oil to the frying pan. Reduced the heat to medium low. Include chopped onions to the frying pan as well as sauté up until translucent, stirring occasionally to launch the browned bits from all-time low of the frying pan.

Add chicken and also stock: Return the poultry pieces to the frying pan with the onions. Pour 2 mugs of chicken stock over the hen and also onions. Bring to a boil, decrease to a simmer, cover and simmer delicately for 30 minutes.

Add ground walnuts, pomegranate molasses, sugar, spices, cover and cook: Stir in the ground walnuts, pomegranate molasses, sugar, as well as flavors. Cover as well as cook on quite low heat for 1 hour, mixing every 20 minutes or so to prevent the walnuts from staying with the bottom of the frying pan.

Remove from warmth as well as adjust sugar/salt to preference. Now the chick must be crumble tender.

Garnish with pomegranate seeds. Serve over parsi pulao or various other favored rice.

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