Persian Chicken
Gently simmered chicken, celery and juniper berries, warmed with peppercorn and cinnamon.
3 hr · Serves 6 · Takes some skill
Ingredients
Method
Start cooking mode- Prep 120 min · Cook 60 min · 180 min total
- hard
- 1
Wash 4 half chicken breasts (with bones and skin) and put them in a good-sized pot. Add celery rib, thyme, parsley sprigs, bay leaf, cracked peppercorns, and juniper berries.
- 2
Barely cover the breasts with cold water, cover the pot, and bring to a gentle simmer (the surface of the water shakes and only a few bubbles break). Hold it there for 20 minutes; turn off the heat; let the breasts rest in the hot water for 10 minutes.
- 3
Transfer chicken to a strainer. Let it rest until cool enough to handle and then cut or pull the meat into bite-sized pieces. Use the skin, bones, and broth to make stock for some other dish.
- 4
Grind six or so handfuls of walnuts fine in a food processor to produce three cups. You want to end up with about three cups.
- 5
Heat 5T unsalted butter in a large, heavy saucepan, and add onions, chopped fine. Cook onions until they are golden, 8 minutes or so. Add ground walnuts and stir constantly (very important) for about five minutes. They will stick if you don't stir.
- 6
Add the lemon juice, salt, cinnamon, sugar, pomegranate juice, and two cups water. Cover pot and let mixture simmer for up to 40 minutes.
- 7
Five minutes before you're ready to serve, add the chicken. Keep the heat low so it doesn't toughen up and cook it only until everything is heated through. Turn off the heat and let it rest if you must. It will stay hot for quite a while.
Notes and swaps
- Not assessed yet. Check each ingredient if you have an allergy.
