Fesenjan - Persian Chicken with Pomegranate and Walnuts
A wedding dish. Persian (Iranian) dish, though found in the book's Arab-cuisine section.
Ingredients
| 6 | upper chicken thighs | |
| 500 ml | pomegranate juice | |
| 200 g | Basmati rice | |
| 120 g | roasted walnuts | |
| 100 g | butter | |
| 2 heads | onions | |
| 1/2 bunch | parsley | |
| 1/2 | pomegranate | |
| 4 tbsp | 60 ml | brown sugar (light) |
| 1 tbsp | 15 ml | coriander |
| 1/2 tsp | 2.5 ml | turmeric |
| 1/2 tsp | 2.5 ml | cinnamon |
| to taste | salt and black pepper |
Instructions
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Heat the pomegranate juice with the sugar and cook until the liquid is reduced by half.
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Clean the skin off the chicken thighs, season with salt and sprinkle with black pepper. Sear them in half of the butter until they turn golden-brown.
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Remove them and in the same pot fry the onion cut into small cubes. It should become golden and slightly caramelized.
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Chop the walnuts, setting aside a small part for sprinkling. Add the walnuts, turmeric, coriander, cinnamon and the pomegranate reduction to the onion. Season with salt and black pepper.
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Add the meat and cook covered, over low heat, until the meat softens, stirring periodically.
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Soak the rice for 10 minutes in water, then rinse very well and boil in a large amount of water until done. Drain and mix with the remaining butter.
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Salt it and sprinkle with finely chopped parsley.
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Separate the pomegranate seeds. Serve the dish over the rice, sprinkled with the reserved walnuts and pomegranate seeds.