Khoresht-e Fesenjan (Chicken and Walnut Stew)
Pomegranate molasses and walnuts bring sweet, sour, and bitter notes to this classic Iranian stew.
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Credit: Todd Coleman
Ingredients
¼ cup canola oil2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2 ½″ pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1½ tbsp. ground turmeric
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 cups finely chopped spinach
1½ lb. walnuts
2 cups pomegranate molasses
¼ cup sugar
Sliced red onion, to garnish
Instructions
1. Heat oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, season chicken with salt and pepper, and add to skillet; cook, turning, until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate; set aside. Add turmeric and onion; cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add spinach; cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, and set aside.2. Meanwhile, process walnuts in a food processor into a very fine paste, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a 6-qt. Dutch oven, and heat over medium-low heat; cook until fragrant, about 15 minutes. Stir in 8 cups water, and bring to a simmer over medium heat; cook, skimming any oil that floats to the surface, until light brown and thickened, about 2 hours. Add molasses and sugar; cook until thickened once more, about 25 minutes. Add reserved chicken and onion-spinach mixture; cook until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Garnish with onions.
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My Mom's recipe (who's been cooking for 70 years) calls for chicken breast halves, each in one piece or two pieces, NO SPINACH!
As for the walnuts, Mom leaves it on the gritty side to give the sauce some texture.
Mom sautees the chicken and onions together, then adds walnuts and water. Once the chicken is cooked, she breaks it up into large pieces using two forks, or a knife. Make sure sauce is rather thick at this point.
You'll need some finesse from here on. What you are looking for is a balance between sweet and sour AND a nice medium dark brown color for the sauce. Mom pours in a little pomegranate molasses, stirs, then adds sugar slowly and stirs to fully dissolve, and keeps tasting until she get that sweet/sour balance. She adds in, and stirs, enough molasses to make the sauce a few shades darker than she started with, balances it with sugar. THEN she repeats the process, in gradual steps, to maintain the taste balance AND get the color she is looking for. Be patient and take your time. You'll end up with a stew with a rich, rather thick, sauce.
Serve over steamed basmati rice.
This is an excellent dish. Please try it again using my Mom's method