A cup of novelty

I returned to the kitchen chapter with a new recipe that is definitely to everyone’s taste. Let’s travel to Persian cuisine and if you’re wondering why I called this recipe “Imperial Persian,” it’s because of the incredible ingredients; it is light and tasty.
And because Persians (Iranians) love ground toasted walnuts, I would like to introduce this delicacy to Nordic kitchens and beyond. Without further ado, let’s move on to the list of ingredients.

Ingredients:

•1 to 2 large yellow onions, chopped, (3 cups)
•2 tablespoons unsalted butter
•3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
•5 tablespoons pomegranate molasses (fresh molasses step down below)
•226 grams of walnut halves (about 2 cups)
•1 kg boneless skinless chicken thighs and/or breasts, cut into medium size pieces, patted dry, and salted
•2 cups chicken stock
•2 tablespoons of sugar
•1/2 teaspoon turmeric
•1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
•1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
•1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
•salt
•1/2 cup fresh pomegranate arils for garnish, optional

To make your own pomegranate molasses simmer 1 cup of pomegranate juice until it reduces to 5 tablespoons of syrup. This would be more fresh and delish than caned molasses.

•Toast the walnuts either spread out in a single layer in a large skillet on medium-high heat, stirring frequently until lightly toasted, or in a baking rimmed baking sheet, and toast at 176°C in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Once fried, leave it to cool so that it can be handled, then grind it.

•In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, pat the chicken pieces dry again and place the chicken pieces in the pan, and cook until golden brown on all sides. Sprinkle the chicken with salt while they are cooking.

•On the third step remove the chicken and set it aside, add a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of oil to the pan. Lower the heat to medium-low. Add the onions to the pan and sauté until translucent.

•When the onion has become translucent, add the chicken to the pan and add the chicken stock. Leave it on the fire and after it has reached the boiling point, cover it and let it boil for half an hour.

•Add ground walnuts, pomegranate molasses that you just made, sugar, spices, cover, and cook. Cover and cook on very low heat for 1 hour. To prevent the walnuts from sticking to the pan, stir every 20 minutes. When the chicken meat is tender remove it from the fire and add more sugar as you like. In the end, you can garnish plates with fresh pomegranate seeds.

This is one of the recipes that have fascinated me lately and I really hope you’ll like it too, those of you who are open or eager to try other cuisines of the world. It’s simple to do, it stimulates your creativity and because it’s still the month of love, it is perfect to be worked in pairs. From what I remember about wines, I think a glass of Rich Chardonnay goes with this dish. Bon appetite and see you next week.

DEEA OLIVIA

Sources: simplyrecipes.com, Iranian friends.