Fesenjoon

This Iraqi dish of chicken in pomegrante walnut sauce is very yummy. I first tried this at the restaurant Ali Baba in Davis, which served it every Friday.

From: http://www.aliraqi.org/forums/archive/index.php/t-11099.html

Chicken pieces...

Ground walnuts, 500 grams

3-4 onions

Pomegranate molasses in the bottle... 3/4 of the bottle

Sugar, 2-3 spoons ...u can add more if u want it sweeter

1/2 cup of cooking oil

Salt

Slice and fry onions until slightly golden...

Take chicken pieces and add with the onions until color changes.

Add 3 glasses of hot water and let it boil......

Then turn heat down and let it boil slowly for about 30 minutes adding more hot water if needed.

Ground walnuts in a food processor u want a fine consistency looking kind of like sugar ...then u add that and salt and pomegranate paste u may need to add a glass of hot water if the paste is too thick.....Then u can add sugar to the sweetness wanted......make sure its not too sweet......the proper fesenjoon should be sweet but at the same time a little sour...

Cook it long enough until all of the oil from the walnuts rise...you will see a layer of oil that i suggest u should scoop out later.....the consistency must be thick........and then u serve it with some saffron flavored rice.......

"Pomegranate Molasses" Recipie: from http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=659266

Fesenjoon Sauce

Pomegranate concentrate, a tart, brownish syrup sometimes labeled pomegranate molasses, is made from the fruit's juice but, unlike most concentrates, cannot be reconstituted with water. A staple in Middle Eastern cuisines, pomegranate concentrate is used in meat marinades and fesenjoon, a dip or meat condiment. Try fesenjoon as a dunk for carrots, cucumbers, and pocket bread; spread it in chicken sandwiches; or serve with roast leg of lamb.

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 cups walnuts
• 1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh jalapeño chili
• 1/4 cup pomegranate concentrate (see notes)
• Salt

Preparation

In a 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat, stir garlic in olive oil until garlic is lightly browned and soft when pressed, about 2 minutes. Remove from pan. To pan, add walnuts; stir until toasted, about 6 minutes. In a blender or food processor, purée walnuts, garlic, minced fresh jalapeño chili (to taste), pomegranate concentrate, and 3/4 cup water; scrape container sides often. Add salt to taste. Serve, or cover and chill up to 1 day.

Nutritional analysis per tablespoon.

Yield

Makes 2 cups

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 54(78% from fat); FAT 4.7g (sat 0.4g); PROTEIN 1.1g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; SODIUM 0.8mg; FIBER 0.4g; CARBOHYDRATE 2.6g

Sunset, SEPTEMBER 1998