Fesenjan - Persian Walnut Pomegranate Chicken Stew
Fesenjan (pronounced Fe-sen-joon), a Persian delicacy, is a rich and tangy Iranian chicken stew, with walnut and pomegranate paste. My professor/mentor in college, Dr. Ali Ahmadi, who is Iranian, first introduced this dish to me in 2013. Since then, I made sure to show up at any gatherings he was bringing food, because I know for sure Fesenjoon would be there.
Last week, when Salt Lake City started to feel like Fall, I wanted to make this dish again because it has warm spices that are perfect for the weather. It was close to his version, but definitely not as authentic. I showed him the pictures of my Fesenjoon version, and as always, he surprised me with a package of ingredients that I was not able to find in local groceries markets. So of course, I have to make it right this time! I am excited to share this delicious recipe with you.
FESENJAN
INGREDIENTS:
Chicken thighs: 4 counts (or chicken breasts if you prefer a healthier option)
Walnut: 2 cups
Pomegranate molasses/juice: 2-3 tbsp (or you can reduce an 8 fl oz POM juice on low heat)
Sweet onion: 1/2
Sugar: 3 tbsp
Saffron: 1 tbsp (Alternative: Turmeric: 1/2 tsp; Nutmeg, Cinnamon powder: a dash of each)
Pomegranate seeds: 1/2 cup
Parsley: 1 bunch
RECIPE
Place chicken, onion, some parsley into a sauce pan. Add 1/2 tsp of salt and a pinch of black pepper, then add water enough to cover the chicken. Bring this to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low for 15 minutes.
Place the chicken on a plate. Filter onion and parsley out of the chicken broth, then let it cool down.
Roast the walnut in the oven at 350F for about 5 minutes.
Mash saffron and the sugar in a bowl. Add 1/4 of a cup of hot water. Let it sit for 20 minutes.
Add the broth, walnut, saffron sugar mixture, and pomegranate molasses into a blender. Blend well. At this stage, taste the paste, and adjust sugar/pomegranate molasses as you wish. The molasses will make your paste tangy and sour while sugar will make it sweet and smooth. Adjust these ingredients to your taste.
Remove the bones from the chicken thighs if you are using thighs. Then dice the chicken to smaller cubes.
In a sauce pan, add chicken and the mixture, mix well. Let the chicken marinate for 2 hours to bring out the saffron and pomegranate flavor. This step is optional if you do not have time.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to low, for 30 minutes until you reach the desired thickness/consistency.
Serve Fesenjan with Jasmine rice then garnish with some pomegranate seeds and parsley. Enjoy!