Best Fesenjoon Recipes

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.

FESENJOON

Steps:

• In a food processor grind the walnuts until they are extremely fine and have a consistency almost like peanut butter. You can tell the nuts are ready when the crumbs start to stick together like dough.
• Place the ground walnuts in a large casserole dish. Add 1 litre of cold water. Bring this sauce to the boil on the stovetop and cook on a high heat for 5 minutes. Reduce to a low heat and leave it to simmer with the lid slightly ajar to let off some the steam. This is the basis of your sauce. Let it simmer on a low heat for 2 hours, stirring occasionally to make sure the walnuts don't stick to the bottom of the dish.
• After the walnut sauce has been cooking for 1 hour, add 200ml of cold water and two ice cubes to the pot. The cold water is important as it encourages the walnuts to release their natural oils. Give the sauce good stir then stick the lid back on and leave it to simmer for another hour.
• After 2 hours the sauce should have thickened and darkened in colour. Now add the pomegranate molasses, tomato concentrate, cinnamon, sugar, salt and pepper and stir well. Add the chicken pieces. Place the lid on the pot and continue to cook over a low heat for another hour.
• After about 50 minutes the chicken will be cooked and the sauce should be a rice, glossy, chocolate colour. Taste the sauce for seasoning. If you prefer it a bit sweeter, add more sugar or, if you want a more sour taste, add more pomegranate molasses. Cook for a final 10 minutes with the lid off so that the sauce thickens around the meat.
• Serve with steamed rice and a sprinkle a handful of fresh pomegranate seeds on top to garnish.