Fesenjan Chicken With Walnut And Pomegranate Sauce Recipes

FESENJAN-STYLE CHICKEN STEW RECIPE WITH WALNUT AND POMEGRANATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Toast the walnuts in a 350 degree oven on a baking sheet until fragrant, 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly. Transfer to a food processor fitted with the metal blade and grind until fine crumbs are formed.
• In a large pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with 1 teaspoon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Add as much chicken as can fit in the pan in one layer without overcrowding. Cook chicken until browned on both sides, but not cooked through. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate and repeat with remaining chicken, if there is any.
• Add the chopped onions to the pan and sauté until tender and translucent, about 6 minutes.
• Stir in the reserved ground walnuts, stock and browned chicken pieces. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, lower heat and simmer covered for 20-30 minutes.
• Stir in the pomegranate molasses, maple syrup, cinnamon, turmeric and 1 teaspoon of salt. Simmer covered for another hour,* stirring occasionally until the chicken is tender and the sauce is thickened.
• Give the stew a good stir to incorporate any oil at the top and taste for seasoning. Serve over rice and garnish if desired with pomegranate seeds and parsley.

PERSIAN CHICKEN OR DUCK IN POMEGRANATE WALNUT SAUCE (FESENJAN)

Steps:

• Sprinkle meat with lime juice and allow to marinate for 1-4 hours.
• Over medium heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pot heat an 1/8 cup (2 Tablespoons) of the butter or oil until shimmering.
• Add the chicken/duck pieces a few at a time and brown on all sides. Remove to a plate.
• Add onions (and eggplant if using - see notes in description) and sauté in remaining butter or oil until translucent.
• Stir in ground walnuts and saute for 1/2 a minute.
• Add stock or water and browned chicken/duck pieces. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer 20-30 minutes.
• Stir in the pomegranate juice, sugar, salt and pepper.
• Taste and adjust seasoning. Sauce should have a balanced sweet-sour flavor. See notes to adjust.
• Simmer another 15-20 minutes until the chicken/duck is tender, sauce is somewhat thickened and the walnuts begin to give off their oil. Serve with plain white rice.

MAX TREITLER'S FESENJAN (CHICKEN WITH POMEGRANATE AND WALNUT SAUCE)

Steps:

• If using a whole bird, set wings aside for another use. Trim all excess fat from remaining chicken pieces. Toss poultry with salt. In a large, dark pot with a tightly fitting dark lid, combine poultry with remaining ingredients and bake in solar oven until poultry is cooked through, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours, checking after 1 hour and then every 20 minutes or so.

KHORESH-E FESENJOON (PERSIAN CHICKEN STEW WITH POMEGRANATE AND WALNUTS)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread walnuts out on a baking sheet and toast until golden brown inside, about 12 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
• Remove chicken skin and discard or save for another use. In a large bowl, season the chicken with turmeric, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
• Set a large Dutch oven or similar pot over medium-high heat. When the pot is hot, add oil and carefully lay chicken thighs into the pot in a single layer. It is crucial to leave space between the pieces to allow steam to escape, so brown chicken in batches if necessary. Cook until browned on both sides, flipping halfway through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove chicken from pot and set aside. Add onion to pot with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring regularly, until soft and golden brown, 16 to 18 minutes.
• In a food processor, grind the cooled walnuts as finely as possible without turning them into a paste. (Alternatively, you can chop the walnuts as finely as possible by hand.) Add 2 cups pomegranate juice and 1/4 cup molasses to the walnuts and continue blending until you have a very smooth paste.
• Add the walnut paste and remaining pomegranate juice to the pot. Season with salt and partly cover with a lid. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for about 2 hours. If the sauce begins to stick, stir in 1/4 cup water. The sauce will thicken and change color as it cooks, turning a deep, dark brown, similar to mole poblano.
• Add the saffron, and taste the sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and pomegranate molasses as needed. The sauce should be delightfully sweet and sour, so add up to 2 teaspoons sugar, if needed, if it's too tart.
• Add the chicken to the sauce and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes, or until chicken is falling off the bone. Keep stirring regularly - the sauce should be thick, but not so thick that it sticks to the bottom of the pot, so add a splash of water as needed to prevent burning. Use a large spoon to skim away any walnut oil that has pooled on top of the stew. Taste and adjust seasoning, transfer to a serving dish and garnish with a sprinkling of fresh pomegranate seeds. Serve hot, with Persian rice, mast-o khiar and salad-e Shirazi if you like.