Persian chicken with pistachios and mint
I read about a khoresh in Najmieh Batmanglij’s wonderful book Food of Life: Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies. It was mostly made from pistachios – a whole 450g (1lb) of them – with the same amount of chicken, no vegetables and a pretty hefty swig of rose water. This is based on that (Batmanglij’s recipe also includes verjuice and saffron) but I’ve messed around with the dish. It uses ingredients I love (and that are common in Moroccan cookery, too), such as saffron and flower water, producing a dish that is scented and unusual to European and American taste buds.
I have also made this with dill instead of mint and that works very well – it’s different, but just as good – while cooked broad beans (whose skins you’ve slipped off) are a lovely addition, too.
Ingrediënten
- 900 g 2lb skinless boneless chicken thighs
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions finely sliced
- ¾ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp pepper
- 250 ml 9fl oz verjuice
- 250 ml 9fl oz chicken stock
- salt
- good pinch of saffron strands
- ¼ –½ tsp rose water be careful as you are adding this
- 250 g 9oz spinach, washed, coarse stalks removed, leaves torn
- about 40 mint leaves torn
- 50 g 1¾oz pistachios, roughly chopped
- rose petals to serve (optional)
Instructies
- Cut the thighs in half, so that you are left with two pieces that are rough rectangles.
- Heat the oil in a sauté pan and fry the chicken in batches so it takes a good golden colour on both sides.
- You don’t want to cook the chicken through, just colour it.
- As the chicken is ready, remove it to a dish.
- When all the chicken is done, add the onions to the pan and fry over a medium-low heat until they are golden and starting to soften.
- Add the turmeric and pepper and cook for another minute, then pour in the verjuice and stock.
- Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer and return the chicken – and any juices that have run out of it – to the pan.
- Season with salt, cover and cook for 25 minutes, removing the lid for the final 10 minutes.
- Add the saffron, stir it round in the juices to help it dissolve and add the rose water (you don’t want to overdo this and different brands have varying strengths, so add carefully and taste as you do so).
- Add the spinach gradually, adding each amount when the rest has wilted.
- Stir in the mint, taste to check for seasoning, then add the pistachios and rose petals (if using).
- Serve with rice.
- I also like a bowl of yogurt with some crushed garlic and 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil stirred into it.
