Fesenjan (Persian Chicken, Walnut & Pomegranate Stew)
One of our culturally significant dishes. Chicken is slow-cooked in a pomegranate molasses and walnut sauce creating a rich, sweet and sour stew
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 6 chicken quarters (skinless, on the bone)
- 1 medium onion (quartered)
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 350 g walnut kernels
- 175 ml Pomegranate molasses (plus more as needed)
- 50 g sugar (plus more as needed)
- 1 litre water
- 1/4 tsp ground saffron (bloomed in 2 tbsp water)
- Salt & Pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Prepare and Cook Chicken Quarters: Rub chicken quarters with 1 tsp of turmeric and season with salt and pepper.
- Place large casserole dish or large saucepan with lid over medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Once the oil shimmers, add chicken thighs and cook for 2 minutes on each side.
- Place quartered onions amongst the chicken, pour 1 litre water into the pot and add cinnamon. Once the cooking liquid starts to boil, reduce heat to medium-low, place lid on and let chicken simmer while you prepare the walnuts.
- Prepare and Toast Walnuts: Finely grind 350 grams walnuts in a food processor until they start to clump together. Do not over process as you will end up with a nut butter consistency. Then place a frying pan over medium heat and lightly toast walnuts for a few minutes, stirring continuously and making sure not to burn. Once you can smell the aroma from the ground nuts, remove from heat and pour into a bowl and set aside until ready to use.
- Remove Chicken and Onions and Add Ground Walnuts: Remove lid from pot and remove the chicken quarters and place to one side while cooking the walnuts. Then remove and discard the onions (you can alternatively use them for a soup). Pour ground walnuts into simmering cooking liquid and stir. Place lid back on pot and simmer the walnut mixture for approximately 1 hour. Stir regularly throughout to make sure walnuts don’t stick to the bottom of the pan. What you are looking for is the sauce to have thickened, darkened in colour like tahini and for there to be a layer of walnut oil on top.
- Add Pomegranate Molasses, Sugar and Bloomed Saffron: Stir in pomegranate molasses, followed by sugar and bloomed saffron into the cooking liquid. Stir until fully combined.
- Add Chicken: Add chicken quarters back into stew and simmer for an hour or until the meat is falling off the bone. The stew will be a rich dark brown and the oil from the walnuts will form a layer on the stew. Feel free to spoon off some of the walnut oil and keep for salad dressings.
- Season and Adjust As Necessary: Add seasoning and adjust sweetness and / or sourness to your taste.
- Serve the Fesenjan: Ladle Fesenjan into a serving dish and sprinkle with pomegranate arils and dill fronds to garnish. Serve with Persian rice and Tahdig, Salad Shirazi and Maast O'Khiar.