Fesenjan (Persian Chicken in Pomegranate-Walnut Sauce)

Method

1. Put the walnuts in a dry 24 cm frying pan over medium-low heat and toast for 5 min, stirring often, until fragrant and lightly browned in spots. Tip onto a plate to cool, then grind in a food processor or blender until very fine, like damp sand; coarse walnuts give a gritty sauce.

   Add in this stepWalnuts, shelled 120 g

   medium-low heat

2. Trim the chicken of excess fat, cut into 4 cm pieces and toss with half the salt and the turmeric. Heat most of the oil in a 22 cm pot over medium-high heat, add the chicken in a single layer and brown for 5 min, until golden on the outside. Lift onto a plate; it doesn't need to be cooked through, as it finishes in the sauce.

   Add in this stepBoneless chicken thighs 400 gSalt 0.4 tspGround turmeric ½ tspVegetable oil 0.9 tbsp

   medium-high heat

3. Finely chop the onion. Add the rest of the oil to the same pot and cook the onion over medium heat for 7 min, until soft and golden at the edges, scraping up the browned bits from the chicken.

   Add in this stepOnion 1Vegetable oil 0.6 tbsp

   medium heat

4. Stir in the ground walnuts for 1 minute, then pour in the stock. Bring to a boil over high heat, turn down to low heat, set the lid slightly ajar and simmer for 50 min. Scrape the bottom every 10 minutes, as walnut sauce catches easily. It is ready when it has darkened and little beads of walnut oil float on top. Add a splash of water if it gets too thick.

   Add in this stepChicken stock (or water) 450 ml

   high heat→low heat

5. Stir in the pomegranate molasses, cinnamon, sugar, the rest of the salt and some pepper, then return the chicken to the pot. Simmer uncovered over low heat for 25 min, until the sauce is the colour of dark chocolate and a spoon drawn across the bottom leaves a trail for a moment. The chicken should show no pink when you cut the thickest piece. Taste: if it is too sour, add a little sugar; too sweet, a little more molasses.

   Add in this stepPomegranate molasses 4 tbspGround cinnamon ¼ tspSugar 1 tspSalt 0.4 tspBlack pepper to taste

   low heat

6. Serve beside warm rice (in Iran, fluffy basmati) and scatter over the pomegranate seeds.

   Add in this stepPomegranate seeds, to garnish 2 tbsp