Fesenjan (Persian pomegranate and walnut stew)
This classic Persian stew is hearty, comforting and with a delicious sweet-tangy flavor.
Servings: 2 - 3
Calories: 1262kcal
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb chicken thighs - on the bone 675g
- ½ large onion
- 1 cup walnuts 100g
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ cup light stock 120ml, eg chicken
- Salt and pepper to taste may not need salt, depending on your stock
- ½ cup pomegranate molasses 120ml, also called pomegranate syrup, or a little less, if it is very thick
Instructions
- Remove the skin from the chicken and trim any excess fat. Dice the onion.
- Put the walnuts in a food processor and grind until they are relatively fine, like breadcrumbs.
- Warm the oil in a pan wide enough to hold all of the pieces of chicken in a single layer and brown the chicken on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add the onion to the pan and cook a few minutes, stirring now and then until it has softened. Then, add the ground walnuts and cook a minute or two to toast slightly.
- Add the stock to the pan, stir to mix and season with a little salt and pepper, then add back the chicken. Press the chicken pieces under the sauce then bring to a simmer, cover and reduce the heat a little. Allow to simmer around 20 minutes until you see oils coming to the surface a little.
- Add the pomegranate molasses, stir well then simmer gently for an additional 10 minutes. Take care not to let the mixture burn on the bottom of the pan. Serve, topped with fresh pomegranate if you like for decoration.
Notes
It can be worth adding around ¾ of the pomegranate molasses and mixing before adding the rest. It should go a fairly deep brown color and you should have a good sweet-tart flavor. Add the rest/more to taste. If it is very tart, you can add a little sugar to balance it out but it shouldn't be needed.
You can make the dish ahead and reheat. You can either make it up to just before you add the pomegranate molasses, or make it completely. If the latter, just take care re-heating as the pomegranate molasses can burn if they get too hot.
I initially made this with ¾ cup of stock rather than ½ cup. This ensures the chicken is better submerged as it simmers, but I think gives a little too much sauce in the end so needs a bit of time uncovered to allow it to reduce, before adding the pomegranate molasses. Choose whichever way you prefer.
You can use boneless chicken thighs, if you prefer, but the meat on the bone adds to the flavor.
You can make the dish ahead and reheat. You can either make it up to just before you add the pomegranate molasses, or make it completely. If the latter, just take care re-heating as the pomegranate molasses can burn if they get too hot.
I initially made this with ¾ cup of stock rather than ½ cup. This ensures the chicken is better submerged as it simmers, but I think gives a little too much sauce in the end so needs a bit of time uncovered to allow it to reduce, before adding the pomegranate molasses. Choose whichever way you prefer.
You can use boneless chicken thighs, if you prefer, but the meat on the bone adds to the flavor.
Nutrition
Calories: 1262kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 56g | Fat: 95g | Saturated Fat: 28g | Cholesterol: 283mg | Sodium: 259mg | Potassium: 905mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 226IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 4mg