Eggplant Dip, Chicken Skewers and Dill Beans: Persian Recipes by Yotam Ottolenghi

No shopping list delights me more than the one I write when planning to cook Persian dishes. Eggplant and walnuts, pomegranate seeds and rose water; saffron, turmeric, lemons; the four ground Cs - cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom; lovely bunches of fresh herbs (dill, parsley, mint); and thick, tangy yogurt. It is a call of the most delicious things. Add chicken and beans, and factor in time and friends, and it's a list that never fails to satisfy and delight.

A plate of Persian food is so often the perfect balance of flavor and spice, sweet and sour, and fesenjoon, a classic chicken stew with hazelnuts , is exactly that. It's usually served in a stew, but I'm using it here as a sauce to coat the lightly spiced chicken. Serve with rice or flatbreads.

Preparation 20 minMarinating 30 min+Cooking 1h50 For 4

700g skinless, boneless chicken thighs ( about 8), cut into 3 cm piecesSalt2 tablespoons melted ghee

For the spice mix½ teaspoon ground cardamom1 teaspoon ground coriander1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1½ tablespoon ground cumin3 tablespoons finely crushed rose petals in a mortar½ teaspoon caster sugar

For the fesenjoon45ml olive oil olive2 onions (320g), peeled, halved and sliced ​​2 carrots (160g), grated125g walnut halves, toasted and finely blitz500ml chicken stock75ml pomegranate molasses1½ tsp. sugar

For the shirazi salad½ cucumber (160 g), halved, seeded and cut into ½ cm cubes½ red onion (80 g), peeled and finely chopped 200 g quartered cherry tomatoes 60 g pomegranate seeds 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp coarsely chopped mint leaves

First, marinate the chicken. Place all the spices in a small skillet and toast over medium-high heat for one to two minutes, until fragrant. Pour into a medium bowl, add the chicken and three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt, toss to coat, and marinate for at least 30 minutes (or overnight in the refrigerator).

For the fesenjoon, put two tablespoons of oil, the onions and carrots in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes, until tender. they are softened and begin to caramelize. Add the rest of the oil and the walnuts and cook for another two minutes, stirring so that the mixture does not stick. Pour in the broth, molasses, sugar and half a teaspoon of salt, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.

Spread the chicken evenly on eight skewers (pre-soaked if using wooden skewers) and brush with ghee. Put a large frying pan over medium-high heat and when hot, turn the heat to medium and grill the chicken in two batches for three minutes on each side, brushing with more ghee as you turn them over. Remove from pot and let sit for five minutes.

For the salad, combine all ingredients in a medium bowl with one-eighth of a teaspoon of salt and divide between four plates. Arrange two chicken skewers on each plate and serve with the hot fesenjoon sauce spooned over it. -aa7e-7db240694526" data-spacefinder-role="inline" data-spacefinder-type="model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement" class="dcr-10khgmf">