Recipe: Khoreshe Fesenjan (Chicken or Duck with Walnuts)

I did a search on infoseek for persian recipes & found a few versions of what you're looking for---I've never tried it so I can't tell you which is best. I cut & pasted 3 versions. All 3 indicate poultry as the meat, but I'm sure you could probably substitute beef if you wanted to.paste)

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KHORESHE FESENJAN
Makes 6 servings

"Here's a recipe from "In a Persian Kitchen" by Maideh Mazda. I haven't tried this recipe before, but all the recipes I've tried from this book have been great."

2 1/2 to 3 lb. fryer -- cut up
5 tablespoons shortening
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 large onion -- finely chopped
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
2 cups walnuts -- finely chopped
3 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup fresh pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon sugar

Wash and prepare chicken for frying. Saute the chicken in the shortening along with the poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Saute onion in butter until golden brown. Add tomato sauce and simmer for a few minutes. Add the walnuts. Simmer over med. heat for 5 minutes. Stir constantly and be careful not to burn walnuts. Add water and remaining seasonings, lemon juice and pomegranite juice. Cover and cook the sauce on low heat for about 35 minutes.

Arrange chicken in sauce. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes.

Serve with steamed rice.

Now that I've typed it out, it sound good! I'll have to try it soon! Sharon SUE HALEY (UJEB63A)

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FESENJAN (IRANIAN DUCK WITH WALNUTS)
Makes 4 servings

1 duck, quartered
2 onions, sliced
10 oz ground walnuts
2 1/2 cups water
salt
pepper
4 tb pomegranate syrup
2 tb sugar
2 tb lemon juice

Remove all the excess fat from the duck and brown the quarters lightly
in a large casserole.

Lift out the duck and fry the onions until browned, then add the walnuts and 2 1/2 cups of water. Season with salt and pepper.

Return the duck to the pan, and bring the sauce to the boil. Simmer for about an hour until the duck is almost tender.

Stir the pomegranate syrup and sugar into the lemon juice. Skim as much fat as possible from the casserole and then stir in the juice mixture. Simmer for another 30 minutes until the sauce is quite dark. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more water.

Serve with rice.

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KHORESHT FESENJAAN
Makes 6 servings

chicken pieces, 1-1.5 kgs
ground walnuts, 500 grams
3-4 onions
pomegranate juice, 3-4 glasses (or 4-5 spoons of pomegranate paste)
sugar, 2-3 spoons
1/2 cup of cooking oil
Salt

Peel onions and slice thinly. Fry in oil until slightly golden. Wash chicken pieces and fry in onions until color changes. Add 3 glasses of hot water and bring to boil. Turn heat down and let boil slowly for about 30 minutes adding more hot water if needed.

Add salt, ground walnuts and pomegranate juice or paste (if using pomegranate paste, add 2 more glasses of hot water and
bring to slow boil). If pomegranate juice or paste is sour, add some sugar to the khoresht. Care should be taken to cook the khoresht long enough so that the oil in walnuts comes out and the mix becomes quite thick.

Khoresht fesenjan should be served with white rice.