I am still working through my supply of pomegranates; I’m having so much fun finding different ways to use the arils!
This recipe caught my eye immediately during my search for pomegranate recipes. It uses both pomegranate molasses (made from pomegranate juice) and pomegranate arils.
Fesenjan is a Persian stew made with ground walnuts, pomegranate molasses, and typically chicken.
And, well, it’s not the prettiest dish I’ve ever made but the flavors are absolutely fantastic!
This recipe is from Simply Recipes.
Ingredients:
Chicken Stew:
- 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 tablespoons pomegranate molasses (recipe below)
- 1/2 pound walnut halves (about 2 cups)
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces,
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Salt
- 1/2 cup fresh pomegranate seeds, for garnish
- chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Pomegranate Molasses:
- 2 cups pomegranate juice
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Pomegranate molasses can be found in well stocked grocery stores, or you can make your own with the recipe below.
To make the pomegranate molasses, add the pomegranate juice, sugar, and lemon juice to a large saucepan over medium heat.
Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to just maintain a simmer. Cook for about an hour or until it reduces to approximately 2/3 cup, checking on the level of heat from time to time to keep it at a low simmer. The mixture will have a syrup consistency.
Pour into a jar and let cool completely. You can store it in the refrigerator until use.
Before beginning, toast and grind your walnuts. Add the walnuts to a large saute pan over medium high heat, stirring frequently. Toast until fragrant.
Remove from heat and let cool. Once cool enough to handle, add to a food processor or blender and pulse until finely ground.
Pat your chicken pieces with a paper towel to absorb any excess liquid. Season with salt. Add 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan, cooking in batches if needed so as not to overcrowd the pan. Cook until golden brown on all sides. Remove from heat and set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken if needed.
Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and oil to the pan. Lower your heat to medium low and add the chopped onions to the pan. Cook until translucent, stirring occasionally.
Return the chicken to the pan and add 2 cups chicken stock. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, stir in the ground walnuts, pomegranate molasses, and spices. Cover and cook over low heat for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes to keep the walnuts from sticking to the bottom. (Note: I actually added everything to my slow cooker and put it over low heat for 1 hour.)
Remove from heat. Spoon into bowls and garnish with pomegranate seeds and parsley.
You can also serve it over rice.
The walnuts help to thicken the sauce to a really nice consistency. The sweetness of the pomegranate molasses still shines through a bit, and you get the flavor of the spices at the end. YUM.
This was a hit in my house. It reheats really well too, so it’s great for lunch the next day or leftovers later in the week.
NOTE: I was sent POM POMs Fresh Arils and pomegranates for this post. All opinions are my own.
Ingredients
- 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 tablespoons pomegranate molasses (recipe below)
- 1/2 pound walnut halves (about 2 cups)
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces,
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Salt
- 1/2 cup fresh pomegranate seeds, for garnish
- chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
- 2 cups pomegranate juice
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- To make the pomegranate molasses, add the pomegranate juice, sugar, and lemon juice to a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to just maintain a simmer. Cook for about an hour or until it reduces to approximately 2/3 cup, checking on the level of heat from time to time to keep it at a low simmer. The mixture will have a syrup consistency.
- Pour into a jar and let cool completely. You can store it in the refrigerator until use.
- Before beginning, toast and grind your walnuts. Add the walnuts to a large saute pan over medium high heat, stirring frequently. Toast until fragrant.
- Remove from heat and let cool. Once cool enough to handle, add to a food processor or blender and pulse until finely ground.
- Pat your chicken pieces with a paper towel to absorb any excess liquid. Season with salt. Add 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan, cooking in batches if needed so as not to overcrowd the pan. Cook until golden brown on all sides. Remove from heat and set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken if needed.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and oil to the pan. Lower your heat to medium low and add the chopped onions to the pan. Cook until translucent, stirring occasionally.
- Return the chicken to the pan and add 2 cups chicken stock. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, stir in the ground walnuts, pomegranate molasses, and spices. Cover and cook over low heat for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes to keep the walnuts from sticking to the bottom. (Note: I actually added everything to my slow cooker and put it over low heat for 1 hour.)
- Remove from heat. Spoon into bowls and garnish with pomegranate seeds and parsley. You can also serve it over rice.
