Fesenjan Chicken in Toasted Walnut and Pomegranate Sauce

What you need

• 250 g (9 oz) walnut halves
• 1 kg (2 1/4 lb) bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 120 ml (1/2 cup) pomegranate molasses, plus extra to taste
• 750 ml (3 cups) water
• 1 tbsp sugar, optional, to balance the sourness
• salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• pomegranate seeds, to serve, optional
• cooked basmati rice, to serve

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan over medium-low heat, stirring, until fragrant and lightly browned, 5-7 min. Let them cool.

2. 2

   Grind the walnuts in a food processor until very fine and starting to clump together, like damp sand.

3. 3

   Put the ground walnuts in a heavy pot with the water. Bring to a simmer, then cook on low heat, partly covered and stirring often, until the paste darkens and beads of oil show on the surface, about 1 h.

4. 4

   While the walnuts cook, season the chicken with salt and pepper.

5. 5

   Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken on both sides, 6-8 min, then set it aside.

6. 6

   Lower the heat to medium and cook the onion in the same pan until soft and golden, 10-12 min.

7. 7

   Stir the turmeric and cinnamon into the onion and cook for 30 seconds.

8. 8

   Stir the pomegranate molasses into the walnut sauce, then add the onion and the chicken.

9. 9

   Cover and simmer on very low heat, stirring every 10-15 min so the walnuts do not catch, until the chicken is tender and reads 74 °C (165 °F) near the bone, 45-60 min.

10. 10

    Taste the sauce. If it is too sharp, stir in the sugar; if it tastes flat, add a little more molasses and a pinch of salt. It should be thick, glossy and dark brown.

11. 11

    Serve over rice, scattered with pomegranate seeds.

Imported from honest-food.net. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.