Khoresh-e fesenjan

Ingredients

• 1¼ lbwalnutsfinely ground
• 6chickenbreast or thigh, skinless; alternatively one whole chicken (about 1.5 kg)
• 5¼ ozPomegranate molassesadjust to the sourness of the molasses
• 2onionfinely diced or grated, sweated in oil
• 5¼ cupswaterfor simmering, top up as needed
• 5 tbspoilfor frying onion and chicken
• ½ tspturmeric
• 3 tbspsaffronbloomed in hot water
• sugarto taste, if the stew is too sour
• saltto taste
• black pepperto taste, for seasoning the chicken

Method

1. Grind the walnut kernels finely. Bloom the saffron in hot water and leave it to steep until needed.
2. Rinse the chicken pieces, drain them well and season with salt, black pepper and some of the turmeric.
3. Heat a little vegetable oil in a heavy pot and brown the chicken pieces until golden on all sides, then lift them out and set aside.
4. Add the rest of the oil to the pot and sweat the onions until translucent. Stir in the remaining turmeric, then scatter in the ground walnuts and toast them briefly, stirring, until they begin to smell fragrant.
5. Pour in the water, bring everything to the boil and lower the heat. Stir in the pomegranate molasses thoroughly.
6. Lay the chicken pieces in the sauce together with the saffron water. Let the stew braise over low heat for at least 1½ hours, longer if you have the time, stirring now and then and adding a little more water if needed. The sauce is ready when it is thick and oil has gathered on the surface.
7. If the chicken is cooked before the sauce has reached that point, take the pieces out, keep them warm and return them to the pot only when you are ready to serve.
8. Finally, season with salt. If the sauce tastes too sour, stir in sugar a little at a time until the sourness and sweetness are in balance.
9. Serve the khoresh-e fesenjan hot, with rice.

Tips and variations

Duck can take the place of chicken, and some cooks add plums (alu) to the pot as well. Pomegranate juice can stand in for the molasses; another version leaves it out altogether and seasons the stew with a little sugar and ground saffron instead. If you like to feel the walnuts, grind half of them more coarsely. You can also toast them dry in the pot, stirring, before adding the oil and liquid; adding cold water or ice cubes three times at half-hour intervals during braising coaxes more oil from them. Instead of browning the chicken, you can also poach it in water with the onion first and then pull it into rough pieces.